For students accepted into the Health Profession Pathways program, you will participate in a variety of unique required and elective activities throughout your undergraduate career.
These activities include career exploration courses, hands-on experiences in simulation labs, coaching from health professional school students, visits to health care settings, and more.
These opportunities will help you build the knowledge, skills, and qualities (sometimes referred to as competencies) and meet the requirements necessary to be competitive for application to a health professional program.
Your experiences in the Pathways program will be personalized based on a number of considerations - your career goals, your strengths and motivations, and your support needs.
There are activities that all Pathways students participate in, as well as opportunities to shape your own journey so it reflects who you are, and where you want to go.
The Health Profession Pathways program experience kicks off on July 15 with the Emerge: Summer STEM Program. Emerge is a four-week, residential, on-campus program that runs from July 15 - August 12. Pathways students will join other STEM interested PES students for this program. Participation in the summer program includes:
- A $2,000 stipend
- A one-credit UMN course, graded A-F, taught during summer
- Room and board covered in a UMN Residence Hall including all meals*
- Community building and networking activities
Once the academic year begins, Pathways students will participate in the following required activities:
- Meet regularly with your Pathways Coaching Team, which includes PHSRC staff, your PES peer mentor, etc. This will be a total of approx. 2-3 meetings per semester.
- Work with PHSRC staff on your Pre-Health Action Plan
- Meet with Health Science Student Coaches, 1-2 times semester
- Participate in Pathways workshops and attend specific PHSRC events like the Health Careers Fair
- Enroll in specific credit courses, including pre-health exploration courses from the PHSRC, and a personalized section of an academic success course. More details on the required course enrollments found in the next box.
Additional opportunities may arise during Year 1 in the Pathways program, including shadowing at local clinics and hospitals.
Students will work with their Pathways support team to build out a personalized plan that will shape their curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Some of these experiences will be required to meet program requirements, some highly recommended. This list below gives some examples of the types of required and highly recommended experiences.
Required
- Participate in a one-day Outward Bound excursion
- Continue building out your Pre-Health Action Plan
- Participate in meaningful shadowing and volunteering programs
- Enroll in AHS 3401: Writing a Personal Statement (in the year of application to a health professional program)
- Engage in mentorship & networking with health professional school students and faculty
- Participate in Pathways workshops and attend specific PHSRC events like the Health Professional School Expo
Highly Recommended
- Serve as peer coach to younger Pathways students
- Enroll in AHS 2301: Orientation to Research and Clinical Research
- Conduct research either independently or within a structured program
- Participate in pre-health leadership programming
Required Courses - Fall 2023
Pathways students have one Pathways specific required course that they need to register for as part of their Fall 2023 semester enrollment.
- One pre-health exploration course (1 credit) with the PHSRC: Students will choose either AHS 1101, or AHS 1102, or AHS 1611
- OUE 1001: Mastering Skills for College Success
More about these courses
For students who are exploring a variety of health career interests, register for AHS 1101 or 1102:
- AHS 1101: Orientation to Health Careers, 1 credit, online, taught in-person, Mondays, 3:35 - 4:25pm
- AHS 1102: Orientation to Health Careers, 1 credit, fully online, asynchronous
For students who are coming in with an interest in medicine (pre-med):
- AHS 1611: The Future Physician - Medicine in the 21st Century, 1 credit, taught in-person, Wednesdays from 3:35 - 4:25pm
OUE 1001: Mastering Skills for College Success, 2 credits, time TBD
This specific Pathways section of OUE 1001 will be an opportunity for Pathways students to learn together in a cohort experience. The road to health professional programs includes rigorous science prerequisite coursework, which then only gets more challenging when you enter health professional programs. Building this course into the first year of the Pathways program will help students to master key skills including: effective study habits, critical thinking strategies, time and stress management, etc. This will set them up to meet the challenges ahead and be prepared to enter into a health degree program.
Required Course - Spring 2024
Pathways students are required to enroll in the following course for Spring 2024.
- AHS 1104: Experiences in Health
MORE ABOUT THis COURSE
AHS 1104: Experiences in Health, 2 credits, in-person, Fridays, 1:25 - 3:20pm
This course will give Pathways students a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes in the U of M Health Science schools and colleges for hands-on career exploration opportunities. More information about this course can be found below.