Pre-Professional Program (P3)

Supporting You on the Path to Professional School

The Pre-Professional Program, or P3, is a rigorous, competitive program for students pursuing admission to professional health schools after their undergraduate degrees, providing:

Personalized pre-health advising
Access to exclusive workshops and events
Opportunity for a committee interview and letter
Structured timeline and guidance

Students who complete P3 currently have a 90%+ placement rate in their specific professional program.

Is P3 required? No. All pre-health students receive advising and can attend most events, but P3 offers additional structure and resources.

Who Should Apply

Students planning to apply to professional health schools who want extra support and a committee letter for applications. P3 supports students preparing to apply to: P3 covers medically related fields grounded in the natural sciences.

Pre-Anesthesiology Assistant
Pre-Athletic Training
Pre-Chiropractic
Pre-Dental
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Naturopathic Medicine
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Speech Language Pathology
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
And other related health professions

It does not apply to nursing, pre-law, or other paths outside the natural sciences and health professions.

Part 1: Acceptance Into the Program

You can apply in any year, but earlier is better. Part 1 requires specific coursework, a competitive GPA, a personal statement, and an application submitted by January 15.

Part 2: Completion of the Program

Part 2 requires an extensive application submitted by February 1, followed by a formal interview with the Health Professions Advisory Committee (HPAC). The interview is what makes the committee letter possible: HPAC can't write about your institution without having sat across from you.

What You Walk Away With: A Committee Letter

This is the reason P3 exists.

When you apply to professional school, most applicants submit letters from individual faculty members. P3 students submit a committee letter — a single letter of evaluation from Florida Southern’s Health Professions Advisory Committee, sent directly to the schools you apply to.

Professional schools weigh a committee letter differently, because it isn’t one professor’s opinion. It’s the College saying it has evaluated you against every other pre-health student it has advised, and it stands behind you.

Other Benefits

A committee letter of evaluation from HPAC is sent directly to professional schools when you apply. P3 students receive the added support needed for a competitive application:

Special advising sessions with the faculty and staff of the Health Professions Advisory Committee
Pre-health events and opportunities available only to P3 students
Feedback and recommendations on building a competitive application, while you’re building it
A distinctive graduation honor cord and notation of program completion on your transcript

What’s Expected of You

P3 students are expected to:

Accumulate substantial hours, often hundreds, of exposure to healthcare through shadowing, observing, volunteering, and employment.
Demonstrate personal traits and skills through campus and community involvement, leadership positions, employment, research, and other activities.
The program consists of workshops, classes, one-on-one advising, professional observation, and volunteer experiences. Students who complete P3 are prepared to submit a holistic, competitive application to strong professional programs.
Before you shadow or volunteer in a healthcare setting, complete the required training and report every experience to Career Services.

Required Training and Reporting

The Health Professions Advisory Committee

HPAC is the team of faculty and staff who run P3. They evaluate applications, conduct the committee interview, write the committee letter, and advise students throughout the program.