President’s Award Program (PAP) Health Initiative

About the PAP Health Initiative

Students sitting at rows of tables, smiling as they listen to a presenter.

The PAP Health Initiative was established to support incoming UIC first-year students who have been awarded a PAP scholarship. The goals of this initiative are:

  • To provide incoming UIC undergraduate students with a wide-range of experiences and information about opportunities within their future in the health sciences professions.
  • To prepare pre-health sciences students for the demands of our health sciences degree programs.
  • To build the necessary skills to position students as competitive applicants to health professions program once they’ve completed their pre-health studies.

Components of the PAP Health Initiative

The PAP Health Initiative has two components:

  • The PAP Health Summer Co-Clinic: a 6-week summer program held on Fridays before the beginning of the fall semester.
  • The PAP Health & STEM Pathway: runs throughout the students’ first undergraduate academic year at UIC.

Benefits of the PAP Health Initiative

Students gathered around a training manikin as an instructor demonstrates.

Students participating in the PAP Health Program will benefit in the following ways:

  • Introduction and increased knowledge of opportunities within the healthcare industry.
  • Receive guidance in standardized test preparation, interviewing and
    personal statement writing.
  • Learn about the application processes required for health sciences colleges.
  • Partake in clinical procedure learning experiences.
  • Engage with mentors through enrichment activities provided by students, staff and faculty members across the health sciences colleges.
  • Visit the UI Hospital & Clinics, and various research labs.

Applying for the PAP Health Initiative

  1. Students must first be accepted into the President’s Award Program.
  2. PAP scholars interested in majoring in a pre-health course of study are then encouraged to apply to the PAP Health Initiative.
  3. Students participating in this initiative will gain exposure to UIC’s seven health sciences colleges: Applied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Social Work.

PAP Student Experiences

  1. Students gathered around a training manikin as an instructor demonstrates.
  2. Students seated in a classroom listening to a presentation.
  3. Students gathered outside on UIC campus.
  4. Students outside in a garden, learning about medicinal herbs.
  5. Group of students gathered in a nursing simulation lab.
  6. Students in a classroom looking at information on a digital screen.
  7. Students touring the UIC College of Nursing.
  8. Students in a classroom looking toward a presenter who is speaking.
Headshot of Francisco Piña.

If you have questions about the programs above, please contact Francisco Piña, Senior Assistant Director for Advising, Recruitment and Retention at fpina@uic.edu.