The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a FREE summer career-enrichment program for undergraduate freshman and sophomore students seeking an opportunity to jumpstart their career in the health professions!

Visit  www.shpep.org for additional information and to start your application process.  The SHPEP application opens December 1, 2018 and closes February 15, 2019.

SHPEP, formerly known as the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP), expanded in 2016 to include a broader array of health professions, including PHARMACY, nursing, optometry, physical therapy, physician assistant and public health.  Applicants may choose up to three different health career tracks!

The SHPEP’s goal is to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students underrepresented in the health professions and prepare them for a successful application and matriculation to health professions schools. These students include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as African American/Black, American Indian and Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino, and who are from communities of socioeconomic and educational disadvantage.

Program Overview
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 small-group rotations in health care settings, simulation experiences, and seminars. 
• Career development sessions directed toward exploration of the health professions, the admissions process, and the development of an individualized education plan
• A financial literacy and planning workshop that informs students of financial concepts and strategies
• A health policy seminar series  to expose scholars to a larger view of health care, health systems, and the social determinants of health
• An introduction to interprofessional education that addresses effective collaboration across health professions

SHPEP is a national program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA).