Our Interview With Kristy Brischke, MS Ed, Assistant Director of Admissions and Enrollment Manager at Baylor University

Kristy Brischke, MS, Ed, is the Assistant Director of Admissions and Enrollment Manager of Pre-College programs at Baylor University.

What advice would you give to high school students who are considering a career in healthcare but don’t know where to start?

The first thing that students going into healthcare need to know is that they do not need to major in the sciences. To go into healthcare, they will follow a healthcare track that will meet the requirements to get into their particular graduate school. They will then have a major on top of this. Many grad schools want to see students who are more well-rounded than those who have taken more science classes. Majoring in the humanities will teach students to think critically. Majoring in the social sciences—sociology and psychology—may help you understand PEOPLE/patients better. Choosing Spanish may be a GREAT option in states with high immigrant populations from Latin America. Find what you are interested in  and major in that! Then approach the pre-health requirements.

How can early exposure to coursework help students stand out when they apply to college or medical school later on?

Much of what I said above is about making you stand out. The majority of pre-health students think majoring in sciences is important. Other majors will allow you to stand out amongst the 85% biology and chemistry majors.

What qualities or habits can students develop at the Baylor Accelerate Program?

One of my favorite things about Baylor Accelerate is students learn how to 1) navigate college resources, 2) ask for help, and 3) communicate with college professors. All college campuses are teeming with resources—tutoring centers, supplemental instruction, writing centers, etc.  But for bright kids who are interested in pre-health professions, they don’t know how to ask for help. In Accelerate we encourage using these resources and train students on how to professionally communicate with their faculty.

What makes the Baylor Accelerate Program unique?

Students who do Accelerate will come away with a transcript from a Research 1, Christian institution that can help get a jumpstart on their Baylor degree plan or be transferred to other institutions.

Also, if a student completes either 9 hours or 12 hours of Accelerate, depending on which year they begin, and earns a 3.25 GPA, they can gain early admission to Baylor!

Inspira Advantage is proud to interview experts from the nation’s leading Early College programs and universities for insights on what makes their pathways unique and how they prepare pre-med students for long-term academic and career success.