Paving the way for public health careers

As a graduate of UIC’s Pre-Health Academic Readiness Undergraduate program, Ariana Gutierrez Soria quickly got the hang of campus life.

“It helps foster a community,” said Gutierrez Soria, a junior. “You don’t always get to make those connections with your classmates. But if you participate in PHAR, you won’t feel alone.”

The four-week intensive summer program is for first-year public health undergraduates or students who are interested in health programs at UIC. It’s designed to boost their academic success and sense of belonging, and it’s facilitated by the School of Public Health and the Urban Health Program.

Program activities include panels with alums, community service workshops, guest speakers, tours and team-building activities. Participating students receive a $90 daily stipend and lunch.

It is one of eight programs under the Health Career Pathway Program, an interdisciplinary initiative funded by a $3.2 million five-year federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program includes a variety of initiatives aimed at creating pathways for high schoolers, college students and graduate and professional students to explore careers in healthcare.

Gutierrez Soria participated in the inaugural cohort in 2023. She said her experience still resonates with her daily campus life.

“I felt ready. I knew how to navigate around campus, and I was exposed to things that most undergrad students don’t know until they really need it,” said Gutierrez Soria, who is majoring in integrative health studies and preparing for a career in dentistry. “I appreciate how ready I was when I entered my undergrad.”

Dr. Darryl Pendleton, the project director for the program and associate dean for student affairs in the College of Dentistry, said the program is a great way for incoming students to learn about UI Health and the university’s healthcare enterprise, and explore the west side of campus.

“The program is designed to benefit students who are educationally or economically disadvantaged, and to make sure incoming pre-health students know that UI Health and other opportunities on the west side of campus are available to them,” he said.  “We want to ensure that they get all of the support and guidance they need to become competitive and take advantage of the resources that are on campus.”

This year’s cohort is the largest yet, with 30 students from majors such as public health, liberal arts, pre-med and interdisciplinary health sciences.

Jamie Chriqui, senior associate dean at the School of Public Health and the co-project director, said students who participate in the Pre-Health Academic Readiness Undergraduate program are more engaged during their time at UIC.

“They tend to become some of the more active leaders in their academic programs and on the campus,” she said. “They really find their voice in PHAR.”

Chriqui said the program has been revamped over the last three years to be more responsive to students’ needs and interests.

“For example, after the first year of the program, students reported that they wanted more programming from across UI Health. As a result, we have really revamped the program to be focused on the health professions and to leverage the incredible resources and offerings of the seven health science colleges comprising UI Health,” she said.

Above all, the program helps incoming students build important bonds, Chriqui said.

“There’s a big jump from high school to college, so our focus is academic readiness, building social skills and networking, and starting to develop that peer-support system. We also want to help them navigate how to get involved with the health professions early in their journey at UIC through shadowing, volunteering and other opportunities.”

Ahtziry Campos, an incoming first-year student hoping to major in public health, said the program has helped her transition from high school to college while giving her a purposeful introduction to public health.

“This program has opened up so many opportunities,” she said. “I really didn’t know that public health is basically everywhere. It’s really cool for students to get to experience what it’s like being on a college campus.”

The Pre-Health Academic Readiness Undergraduate program has helped Emmanuel Solola build a strong community ahead of the academic year.

“I’ll have people to reach out to,” said Solola, who is majoring in public health. “I know how to use my resources and advocate for myself.”

Alysha Jordan, an incoming first-year student planning to focus on biology and the pre-med track, said the program made sense given that she wants to get into medicine.

“I wanted to know the different routes for entering medicine,” she said. “This program has guaranteed that I want to go into dermatology and be a part of a patient’s recovery journey.”

Meanwhile, Gutierrez Soria continues to participate as a mentor, connecting with new students and helping them navigate the program.

“You don’t see a lot of diversity in healthcare,” she said. “It’s meaningful because these students share similar backgrounds as I do, and they are just as nervous about navigating a career in healthcare as I was. I remind them that I’m a lifeline.”