Pre-Professional Health Advising

Sharon Babcock, Director
Katie Fisher, Assistant Director
Phone: (540) 568-6652
Email: pph@jmu.edu
Website: http://www.jmu.edu/pph

Pre-professional health (PPH) advising offers programs and services for undergraduate students who are preparing for professional health careers that require masters or doctoral education. PPH minors outline the courses, activities, experiences and competencies associated with successful admission to graduate professional programs. PPH advisors assist students with academic planning, career-related exploration and decision-making, and constructing a competitive application to graduate professional programs. Application advising and evaluation services are offered to current students and alumni.

Health profession schools are interested in the overall scope and quality of an applicant’s undergraduate performance. PPH students are encouraged to select a major based on interests and aptitudes. Regardless of baccalaureate degree or major program, competitive applicants must demonstrate excellence in academic accomplishments, prerequisite courses, career exploration, health-related experience, community service and standardized admission tests. Quality letters of recommendation are also fundamental to a competitive application. Thus, PPH students are encouraged to establish mentoring relationships with faculty, clinicians and supervisors.

Incoming first-year and transfer students can declare interest in a PPH program without departmental review. Requests from current students to declare a PPH minor are reviewed prior to assigning an advisor. If the minor has admission standards, those standards are reviewed prior to approving a declaration request from a current student.

Programs

• Pre-Athletic Training Minor
• Pre-Dentistry Minor
• Pre-Medicine Minor
• Pre-Occupational Therapy Minor
• Pre-Optometry Minor
• Pre-Pharmacy Minor
• Pre-Physical Therapy Minor
• Pre-Physician Assistant Minor
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine Minor