Office of Pre-Professional Health Services & Career Strategy

Virginia State University's College of Natural & Health Sciences houses a unique office created to support and guide aspiring healthcare professionals: The Office of Pre-Professional Health Services & Career Strategy. This innovative center stands as a testament to VSU's commitment to nurturing the next generation of diverse healthcare practitioners. The office serves as a unique, all-encompassing hub for students across all majors who are pursuing careers in healthcare. Our mission is bold and visionary: to reimagine the multifaceted Pre-Health student experience; by creating innovative programs, resources, and services, the office supports students in exploring various pathways in human clinical, and animal health professions.

Guiding Future Healthcare Professionals

One of the primary functions of the office is to assist students in navigating the complex landscape of healthcare education. We provide invaluable guidance on both curricular and co-curricular requirements, ensuring that students become competitive candidates for admission to post-baccalaureate programs and professional schools. The office caters to a wide array of healthcare aspirations, including:

The office launched eight Pre-Professional Health Tracks in Fall 2023. These tracks are designed to provide a structured pathway for students over their four-year undergraduate journey:

• Year 1: Focus on establishing a strong academic foundation
• Years 2-4: Provision of both academic and experiential support to enhance competitiveness for professional health schools.

The ultimate goal of these tracks is to create a "pipeline" and learning community of future healthcare practitioners. This initiative aims to diversify the face of healthcare and improve community support and access for underrepresented communities.

P.R.I.M.E. (Pre-Health & Related Interests Mentoring Experiences)

In addition to the Tracks, the office aims to create a culture of community over competition. The innovative networking platform P.R.I.M.E was created to foster an inclusive community for all Pre-Health students on campus from all majors, minors, or student organizations. P.R.I.M.E. is a networking and mentoring initiative to be facilitated by students, for students. We originated in the summer of 2020 to support all underrepresented students interested in healthcare careers. Underrepresented minority students historically lack resources, connections, and critical advising, particularly in the early stages of higher education. We are aware of this because, the co-founders, experienced this first-hand and struggled in this aspect. We noticed how difficult it was to adjust to the educational demands of Pre-Health tracks’ curricula, while simultaneously searching for resources, experiential opportunities, and campus/community connections. With this in mind, we targeted the underrepresented minority incoming freshmen before their arrival on campus as well as current minority students within their respective Pre-Health tracks and majors.

Download P.R.I.M.E. Flyer

Identifying and improving self-efficacy is an essential aspect of P.R.I.M.E. because our population of students is not only historically underrepresented in healthcare, but also because they often lack mentors and support systems. Integrating a sense of community is a theme in every programming component to address how important individual journeys are to the community as a whole. We do this by making sure every student feels seen and heard through communication on our GroupMe and holding virtual social events to facilitate conversations on everyone’s recent accomplishments, student’s current mental health and ways to relieve stress, study techniques, insight into student life before becoming a college student, and much more. By sharing common struggles and celebrating each other’s wins, this sense of community instills pride, accountability, and confidence to achieve personal and professional goals. For every P.R.I.M.E. member that we assist in reaching their goals, thousands of patients will be treated with the care that every person deserves.

Spring Signature Series

Spring is a critical time for Pre-Health students particularly those planning to apply to the admissions cycle for professional health schools. The office hosts a series of workshops, seminars, and a Pre-Health career fair every spring semester. This series includes live and virtual connections to inform and inspire students planning future applications while connecting recruiters, deans, and admissions personnel with students in the application cycle. Simultaneously workshops are given bi-weekly giving students comprehensive strategies for letters of recommendation requests, writing personal statements, and standardized test prep.

 Some of our office partners include:

Beyond Professional Health Schools

Recognizing that not all students in the College of Natural & Health Sciences plan to attend professional health schools, the office extends its support to those seeking guidance on alternative career paths. This comprehensive approach ensures that all students receive the necessary support to achieve successful career placement, regardless of their specific goals within the healthcare sector.

A Campus-Wide Resource

While housed in the College of Natural & Health Sciences, the office's services are not limited to students within this college. The Pre-Professional Health Tracks are designed as supplementary support for any student on campus interested in a healthcare career, focusing on specific concentrations to provide targeted guidance and resources.

The Office of Pre-Professional Health Services & Career Strategy at Virginia State University stands as a shining example of institutional commitment to student success in the healthcare field. By providing comprehensive support, innovative programs, and personalized guidance, it is paving the way for a more diverse, well-prepared, and passionate generation of healthcare professionals. As this office continues to grow and evolve, it promises to play a crucial role in shaping the future of healthcare education and practice.

Office Contacts

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