Inaugural Graduate and Health Professions School Fair Raises Over $20,000

On Wednesday, October 23rd, the Pre-Medical Program (PMP) held the inaugural Graduate and Health Professions School Fair in partnership with the College for Community Health and the Office for Experiential Education and Career Connections. Admissions representatives from over 70 graduate and health professions programs from across the country and the Caribbean, including Montclair’s own programs, connected with current students at this interdisciplinary event.

The launch of the Graduate and Health Professions School Fair is part of the PMP’s strategic framework to remove barriers for Montclair students and provide equitable access to high-impact opportunities and resources without the need for social capital. The Pre-Medical Program was established in the fall of 2021 and has since expanded to become an open-access program with a holistic support structure including advising, pre-professional career planning, competency development, events, and application support for both pre-medical and pre-health students. 

All revenue from the fair, over $20,000, is going directly back to students with the creation of an admissions test preparation fund. Earning a high score on admission tests for medical or health profession schools requires extensive preparation. Unfortunately, high-impact test preparation programs are extremely expensive and, therefore, out of reach for many students at Montclair. Access to high-impact test preparation is an equity issue, and thus, providing funding to remove that barrier is central to the Pre-Medical Program’s mission. Melvin, a senior pre-medical student, shared the impact of the fair and test preparation funding, “It was a phenomenal experience, and I hope the success of the event will help fund pre-medical students of Montclair State University with MCAT prep, medical school prep and more. Pursuing medicine is a challenging career, both academically and financially, so any sort of help matters and can prove instrumental in a student’s success.”

Additionally, the fair offered concurrent learning sessions in collaboration with Career Services in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) and the College for Education and Engaged Learning (CEEL). The CHSS-led panel event, “Psyched about Graduate School,” showcased the panelists’ insight into the variety of graduate programs and careers open to students with a Psychology degree. “The Graduate Assistantship Advantage,” a discussion led by CEEL, allowed students to connect with panelists who had used Graduate Assistantships to fund their graduate school education. 

Over 300 students attended the fair, with representation from a wide range of majors and all class years. Students met with admissions representatives from graduate programs across various disciplines, including fashion, journalism, business, pharmaceutical sciences, public health, health professions, and medical school. Nour, a junior pre-medical student, shared the benefits of connecting with admissions representatives in person, “I found the Graduate and Health Professions School Fair to be a wonderful event…I learned about various enrichment programs, master’s programs, research opportunities, open houses, and virtual information sessions. Also, I was able to learn about different aspects of the program environments that are not found on websites.” 

The fair was well-received by admissions representatives, who had the opportunity to learn about Montclair and the unique experiences and breadth of knowledge our students can bring to their programs. For many schools, it was their first time being on campus and connecting with Montclair students. The inaugural fair presented an opportunity for Montclair students to make impactful connections with admissions representatives, while also establishing a yearly funding source for their test preparation.