Pre-Health Professions Program

Program Overview

The Pre-Health Professions Program at John Brown University is designed to provide information, guidance, assistance, and encouragement to all students interested in a career in the health professions. Students ordinarily apply to this program in the spring of their sophomore year by submitting an application and being interviewed by the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC), which is responsible for directing the program. A minimum GPA of at least 2.5 is necessary in order to submit an application. Students admitted to the program follow a customized timetable for completing certain activities in order to walk them through the entire process of preparing for and applying to professional school.

New applicants to the program are given individualized feedback on their personal strengths and weaknesses (i.e. “growth opportunities”), along with suggestions for how to enhance their chances for admission to professional schools. Students receive information and advice about coursework, study habits, involvement in extracurricular activities, and preparatory methods for standardized tests (e.g. MCATs, DATs, GREs, etc.). Refinement of interviewing skills and written “personal statements” is also a focus of this program. All students are placed in a job “shadowing” assignment with a healthcare professional, usually during their junior year, to provide them with first-hand experiences in their chosen profession.