–ccoppedge@my.apsu.edu
Students in the Pre-Professional Health Society can enjoy the new Pre-professional Health Office open in the Sundquist Science Complex as of Thursday Sept. 6.
“We have been primarily using it as a study space, since pre-professional health students study more than they sleep,” said Samantha Monk, president of the PPHS.
“We often conduct PPHS officer meetings in there, and it serves as a central hub for PPHS.”
Monk said the office also has resources available for students, such as further information about becoming a doctor, pharmacist, physician’s assistant or other related careers.
“We have recently equipped the office with advising sheets for each health career track and a variety of literature on application processes and school selection,” Monk said.
According to Monk, the society assists students in a variety of ways, including informational sessions, academic advising from both students and faculty, career events, preparation for exit exams and application assistance.
“By combining all of the pre-professional health students into one organization, we are not only increasing exposure to other health professions,” Monk said, “we are fostering respect and cooperation during the undergraduate years.”
“The Pre-Professional Health minor became an option in the fall 2011 semester,” said Cindy Taylor, director of the Office of Pre-Professional Health.
“Since many students need prerequisites that may not be in their major or their core, we developed the minor so they could declare an official program of study for these courses.”
According to Taylor, Pre-Professional Health prepares students to go forward to graduate programs in areas of healthcare.
The society has been around longer than the actual minor. “A group of students approached Taylor and myself two years ago and asked if they could create a student-run Pre-Professional Health society,” said Karen Meische, the society’s official student advisor.
“Since its foundation, it has become a large group of very motivated and like-minded students that all want to see this organization thrive.”
Monk believes the most important recent activity for the society was last April’s Health Fair. “17 professional schools came to APSU to recruit our students,” Monk said.
“PPHS members and non-members were encouraged to attend so they could begin networking and discovering the many options that are available after graduation,”
