Exploring Careers in the Health Professions
Working in a health profession can provide you with an interesting, satisfying, and stimulating career that will allow you to help others.
Prospective Wellesley Students Interested in Careers in the Health Professions
Thank you for considering Wellesley College for your undergraduate education. Here you will develop the skills of a liberal arts education, including critical thinking, problem solving, synthesis of information, and effective communication. These skills will serve you well throughout your lifetime, and are highly valued by health professions schools. As you explore your options, here are answers to some of the questions you may be asking:
Navigating the Job Search: The 4 Step Model
The four steps in this resource will help keep you focused and productive in your search. You should plan on revisiting each step as your knowledge and understanding of positions and industries grow. Each step below is outlined without a specific industry or position in mind. It is best to schedule an appointment with your Advisor for Career Exploration (ACE) or an Industry-specific Career Advisor to customize your process. The questions we have provided at each step are designed to help you reflect on your preparedness and identify what you may need to move forward in the process.
The Susan Rappaport Knafel ’52 Scholarship for Foreign Study or Traveling Fellowship (seniors)
Scholarship for Foreign Study – up to $36,000
The scholarship will be awarded to a member of the graduating class who displays a desire for learning and an ability to impart knowledge and judgment to others. It will fund a year of study at a foreign institution to pursue a specific subject that requires contact with foreign scholars, libraries or other resources.
Traveling Fellowship – up to $36,000
The fellowship will be awarded to a member of the graduating class who displays an interest in and an acceptance of others, and who displays the ethos of a Wellesley education. It will fund a year of purposeful travel abroad to explore a particular interest with the requirement that the recipient not remain in the same area for more than two months.
Mitchell Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)
*As of March, 2024, the Mitchell Scholarship has paused the selection of new Scholars. There will be no new class selected in autumn 2024, but they hope in future to be able to re-open this award.
Supports one year of study in any discipline at a university in Ireland. Eligible are graduating seniors and graduates who are US citizens between the ages of 18 and 30. Campus application deadline for seniors (who must seek institutional nomination) typically in August; graduates apply directly for the Mitchell but are very welcome to seek application advice from Wellesley's Fellowships office.
Graduate Degrees and Program Examples
This resource covers key questions to explore when considering a degree and program type, and provide information about:
- Certificate & Post-Baccalaureate Programs
- Master’s Programs (MA, MS, MBA, MFA, MEd, etc.)
- Doctoral Degrees
- Dual Degree Programs
How to Sign up for Industry Newsletters
Update your Career Interests in Handshake to sign up for Industry-Specific Newsletters!
Test Preparation Book Loan Program
Wellesley Career Education has LSAT, GRE, MCAT and DAT test prep books to lend to current students planning to take one of these exams in the near term.
Marshall Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)
Supports one or two years of study in any discipline at a university in the United Kingdom. Eligible are graduating seniors and recent gradiates who are US citizens. Campus application deadline for Wellesley's endorsement typically in August.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship (rising seniors)
The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers graduating seniors a one-year grant for independent study and purposeful travel and exploration outside of the United States, to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership and to foster their humane and effective participation in the world community. Campus deadline typically in August.
Wellesley Career Education Summer Internship Grants (Stipends for Student-Identified Placements)
Through the ongoing and generous support of our donors, the College is able to offer funding to support unpaid internships which students identify on their own. Many award recipients pursue internships in nonprofit organizations focused on education and other community development areas, but funding is available for opportunities in other sectors both within the United States and internationally, as well. In addition to the stipends, Wellesley Career Education staff provide ongoing professional development and career education training throughout their summer experiences.
Careers in Fundraising and Development
A field that often goes unexplored by many students is a career in fundraising and development. These professionals secure the resources and foundations needed to fuel mission-driven nonprofits
“In the past year I’ve spent a lot of time thinking, talking, and journaling about my career, values, and interests. The courage to see if different doors would open for me, to reach out to people and ask for their time and wisdom, was sometimes hard to come by, but my curiosity pushed me to do things that were slightly uncomfortable, and the results were worth it.”
Rhodes Scholarship (rising seniors & graduates)
Did you know that citizens of any country are now eligible to apply for the Rhodes Scholarships, for graduate study at the University of Oxford? Campus deadline for Wellesley applicants for Global Rhodes is typically in early June and for the Canadian and US Rhodes typically in late August. Application deadlines for other Rhodes competitions may fall even earlier (see their website, and Career Education deadline listings). All prospective Wellesley Rhodes applicants are encouraged to seek advice from Kate Dailinger, of Wellesley's Career Education, and learn more through this resource page.
Elisabeth Luce Moore ’24 Wellesley-Yenching Fellowship at Ginling College in Nanjing (seniors & graduates)
Each year the Wellesley-Yenching Program sponsors two English teaching fellowships in cooperation with Ginling College, part of Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China. Wellesley College seniors or graduates are eligible to apply for this one-year fellowship which can be extended to a second year. The Wellesley-Yenching Committee interviews applicants, then sends the credentials of one or two nominees for final approval by Ginling College.
“We have authored research documents on a wide range of labor issues, from exploitative employment contracts in textile factories to sexual harassment on tea estates.”