SHPEP is implemented at 12 universities across the nation. Each institution provides scholars
with academic enrichment in the basic sciences and math, clinical experiences, career
development activities, learning and study skills seminars, and a financial planning
workshop. Program sites vary on how they deliver each of these required components
and their program start date. Program types include dental, medicine, nursing, optometry,
pharmacy, physical therapy and public health.
The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at the University Nebraska
Medical Center (UNMC) offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary academic enrichment experience
that emphasizes a global approach to learning. Our cross-cutting interprofessional
curriculum is comprised of faculty and staff from the UNMC Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry,
Nursing, Public Health, and Allied Health Professions (Physical Therapy). We strive
to graduate confident and proud SHPEP Scholars’ ready to pursue their educational
goals and dreams. Our six week program is focused around essential competences required
of successful health professionals of tomorrow, who will be tasked with assuring health
equity and delivering culturally and linguistically competent health care services.
Critical elements of the UNMC SHPEP curriculum include a broad spectrum of resilience
and personal health and wellness promotion, fostering self-care practices, problem
solving, time-, and financial management, and study skills. UNMC SHPEP Scholars are
involved in a wide range of academic enrichment activities in the basic and social
sciences, and interactive workshops aimed at strengthening students’ research and
inquiry skills. Multiple career development sessions are intentionally distributed
across all of the represented disciplines and will be used to direct scholars towards
the exploration of various health professions, and demystifying the admissions process.
The University Nebraska Medical Center is committed to growing a diverse and passionate
health professions workforce. We strongly encourage students from underrepresented
and divergent backgrounds to apply.\
Must be a high school graduate and currently enrolled as a freshman or sophomore in
college. Must not have exceeded 60 earned college credits. Advanced Placement (AP) credits
are not counted toward the 60 earned college credits.
Have a minimum overall college GPA of 2.5
Be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or an individual granted deferred action
for childhood arrivals (DACA) status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Must not have previously participated in the program
One official transcript from every U.S., U.S. Territorial, or Canadian post secondary
institution attended sent directly by the institution's registrar's office. Please
review the Transcript Requirements section for more information.
One letter of recommendation from a qualified reference. Please review the Recommendation requirements section for more information
Health insurance
Other factors for consideration included that a student:
Identifies with a group that is racially underrepresented in the health professions
Comes from an economically or educationally disadvantaged background and/or
Has demonstrated an interest in issues affecting underserved populations
Submits a compelling personal statement and a strong letter of recommendation
Application opens typically in November and closes in February.
* For current information, refer to the program website listed on this page under
"contact information."
