| Dear Advisor:
The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) staff makes every effort to provide as much information as we can to help SHPEP applicants understand the application process. Therefore, we understand the importance of regularly updating prehealth advisors about our program given the integral role you play in the lives of college students. On behalf of the SHPEP National Program Office (NPO), we’re pleased to announce that the SHPEP 2021 application is now open! We hope you will encourage your eligible advisees to apply.
As many of you are aware, SHPEP is a free six-week summer enrichment program focused on improving access to information and resources for college students interested in the health professions; furthermore, participating students will be awarded a stipend.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical distancing guidelines, and the closure of some campuses, SHPEP will again be a 100% virtual experience in summer 2021. The pandemic necessitated virtual implementation of SHPEP in 2020, and we are proud that the program was successfully delivered online to more than 930 scholars last summer. Therefore, the NPO is confident in the ability of our program sites to once again provide a valuable and transformative online experience to 2021 SHPEP scholars. Please continue to monitor our website for updates on the status of SHPEP 2021.
To be eligible for SHPEP, students must:
- Be a high school graduate and currently enrolled as a freshman or sophomore in college.
- Have a minimum overall college GPA of 2.5.
- Be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or an individual in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
- Not have previously participated in SHPEP.
Although curricula and program dates vary by program site, each program participant will have the opportunity to spend the summer exploring a range of health careers, including dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and public health.
SHPEP offers students a variety of academic and career experiences, including:
- Academic enrichment in the basic sciences and quantitative topics.
- Learning and study skills development, including methods of individual and group learning.
- Clinical exposure through virtual health care settings, simulation experiences, and seminars.
- Career development sessions exploring the health professions and the health professions school admissions process, as well as the development of an education plan.
- A financial literacy and planning workshop that teaches financial principles and management strategies.
- A health policy seminar series, exposing scholars to current health policy issues, the policymaking process and analysis, health care financing, and the social determinants of health.
- An introduction to interprofessional education that addresses effective collaboration across health professions.
Please visit our shpep or 1 (866) 587- 6337 (toll-free).
Below are a few resources that will help you and your students learn more about the program:
The application deadline for SHPEP 2021 is Feb. 5!
Warm regards,
The SHPEP National Program Office |
