The Office of Student Success

Pre-professional Support Services

• Any undergraduate student who has earned 50+ hours of unpaid public service volunteer hours directly related to health or veterinary care, while an undergraduate student at OSU. 
• Hours must be submitted and verified through CampusLink or  Givepulse. We recommend you do this as you earn the hours; do not wait to submit your hours at the end. 

Unpaid work/public service in a health or vet related field

1. where you are not directly responsible for patient care but still have patient interaction.  

• E.g. filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms/pens, administering food or medication, taking vitals, record keeping, serving as a language translator with patient/provider, or any other physical/mental/emotional support you are asked to provide as a volunteer to support patients (humans or animals) or support the mission of the health or animal related organization. This can include hospital/clinic/hospice volunteer programs/positions.  

2. where you are directly responsible for patient care by applying your healthcare training/skills. 

• • E.g. unpaid work as a scribe, CNA, medical/dental/vet assistant, patient care/pharmacy tech., phlebotomist, EMT, laboratory animal caretaker, etc. 
  • Note: If you are already working in a paid position as a provider, thank you. The Pre-Health/Pre-Vet Cord Program requires 50+ hours of unpaid/volunteer service, so you cannot count the hours you are paid for. You may be able to work with your hospital/clinic/facility to offer your time as an unpaid volunteer to earn service hours or you may consider volunteering your time at a free/low-cost clinic related to your skills/training.  
  • Examples - free/low-cost clinics:  
    • National Assoc. of Free and Charitable Clinics 
    • Humane Society

 

Volunteering with human or animal populations supporting physical/mental health/emotional needs outside hospital/clinic settings. 

• • E.g. unpaid time supporting kids/special needs individuals at summer camp with health issues, spending time with elderly individuals navigating dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other conditions; assisting with health screenings for at-risk populations; volunteering for a blood/plasma drive or at family crisis services/mental health facility/crisis connection hotline; volunteering at an animal agency hosting spay/neuter/vaccination drives, etc. 

 

Volunteering with a hotline/counseling (mental health).

• Examples - free/non-profit mental health volunteer involvement opportunities or OSU mental health trainings to prepare to volunteer: 
  • • Crisis Text Line
    • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
    • Mental Health America
    • OSU Wellness: "Become an Advocate" training opportunities (QPR, Kognito, Mental Health First Aid, etc.) to prepare for future volunteering. Note: OSU trainings can not be claimed for cord hours, but can better prepare you for your mental health volunteerism efforts, on or off campus.

• Eligible students may begin applying at the end of their final semester at OSU. 
  
  • Applications open September 16th and are due November 22nd. 

Do not apply if you are NOT graduating in Dec. 2024.

• Cords are only awarded your graduating semester. If you apply "early" your application will not be processed and you will be required to complete a new application. To better align with OSU's Ideal Graduate, C.O.R.D. requirements are changing starting in Spring 2025. 

• After the application deadline has closed, all applicants are screened for eligibility by OSU's Pre-Professional Health & Law Support Services staff. 
• If your eligibility is confirmed, the Pre-Professional office will email you in November with details about:
  • how to pick up your OSU Pre-Health/Pre-Vet CORD on the OSU-Stillwater campus, and 
  • information about attending the Service Learning Volunteer Center's awards banquet (mid-November).