SHPEP and NAAHP: An Ongoing Partnership To Increase Diversity in the Health Professions

Abstract

Abstract The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), a grant-funded initiative by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), is a free six-week summer enrichment program for college freshman and sophomore students interested in the health professions. Since its first cohort of scholars in 1989, SHPEP has impacted the lives of more than 30,000 pre-health students. With direction and technical assistance provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), SHPEP exposes students to a range of health professions because it is imperative for health professionals to know how to learn and work together across disciplines to help build a culture of health. The aims of SHPEP and pre-health advisors are aligned—focused on preparing students from underrepresented communities for matriculation to health professions schools. Pre-health advisors also serve as the top referral source of applicants for SHPEP. Through a partnership with the NAAHP, the SHPEP National Program Office (NPO) has developed resources pre-health advisors can leverage to support their work and advisees. The programmatic overview summarizes SHPEP’s application logistics, resources created for pre-health advisors that support DEI initiatives, and the relationship between the SHPEP NPO and NAAHP.