Summer Health Professions Education Program 2021 Application Now Open

Summer Health Professions Education Program 2021 Application Now Open

The Summer Health Professions Education Program (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 the program was successfully delivered online to more than 930 scholars last summer. Monitor the 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 website to learn more about the program. Contact shpep@aamc.org or (866) 587- 6337.

Below are a few resources to learn more about the program:

• SHPEP Applicant Flyer
• The Impact of SHPEP Video

The application deadline for SHPEP 2021 is Feb. 5.

SHPEP also offers a mentoring program to undergraduate health science students. Mentors may be anyone in graduate school, in a residency, or working in a health profession. For information on how to be an SHPEP Mentor, visit http://www.shpep.org/event/volunteer-mentor-a-health-science-student/