Pre-Professional Health Sciences Program

If you are planning to pursue training and a career in the health sciences, such as a physician, dentist, optometrist, physical therapist, pharmacist, or veterinarian, you will be given specialized faculty advising and coaching to prepare you for acceptance into graduate-level professional health programs. In the video below, current and former PPHS students share how the program is helping them to achieve their goals of becoming a health-care professional.

Our PPHS dedicated web pages provide an in-depth description of our program expectations and processes, including yearly checklists and an explanation of the committee interview system. The undergraduate time schedule specifies when PPHS courses are offered.

Program Description & Mission Statement

For information on how to apply to participate in the PPHS Committee Process, visit the Application Year and Committee Process page. Please spend time exploring our web pages to learn more about health careers, testing resources, application portals, letters evaluation, summer opportunities, and student organizations.

Dr. Max Hunter is the PPHS program director. Advisors include Dr. Cindy Bishop (Pre-Veterinary Science Advisor), Dr. Wade Grabow, Dr. Ben McFarland, Dr. Charlotte Pratt, and Dr. Derek Wood.

Med School Acceptance Rates

Over the last five years, SPU premed students have achieved an average acceptance rate into medical school of 90 percent — far exceeding the 39 percent national average.

Why I Teach at SPU

Max Hunter, Assistant Professor of Biology; Director of PPHS

“I enjoy teaching at SPU because of the wonderful balance I can strike here between teaching in bioethics and education, and developing deeply meaningful relationships with my colleagues and students.”