The interface between premedicine and medicine: expectations of premedical advisors.

Premedical advisors can carry out many varied activities, but all require commitment, resources, and personal interest. Premedical and health career advising appear to be most successful when the task is not assigned to one individual, but is assumed as a university responsibility. Also, premedical advisors seem to be valued more and to have fewer conflicts when they are known by health professional schools and work together with them. Medical schools have a responsibility to assist and support premedical advisors more than is done at present. This need will become increasingly important if the high quality of applicants to medical school is to be maintained in an apparently shrinking applicant pool.(1)