About the Fellowship
The Pre-Health Fellowship will provide selected Honors students the chance to join a community dedicated to healthcare-focused professional development and communication. Accepted students will start the program in their second year as part of a Pre-Health Fellows cohort, learning and preparing for careers together.
Benefits
The program will focus on the following areas: career readiness, community-building and communication. Pre-Health Fellows will develop the skills needed to be competitive for health profession graduate programs, build supportive peer, mentor and professional networks and learn to communicate effectively, empathetically and professionally across diverse audiences and settings.
Fellowship Benefits include:
- One-on-one and group mentorship
- Cohort-based experience
- Educational courses and workshops to improve interprofessional collaboration and communication, ensuring career readiness
- Individualized shadowing and networking opportunities
- Structured skill development
- Service opportunities geared towards healthcare/medical simulation and skill assessment
- Active engagement in a community of healthcare-minded learners
- Enrichment activities
Who Can Apply?
Rising second-year Honors students are eligible to apply. We welcome applications from students who are pursuing careers in healthcare fields, including but not limited to: Athletic Training, Audiology, Counseling, Dentistry, Genetic Counseling, Medicine (MD/DO), Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Physician Assistant Studies, Social Work and Speech Language Pathology.
Students currently enrolled in the following programs are not eligible to apply: Smart Start Nursing Pathway, Pharmacy, BARSC-M.D.
Application Timeline
Be part of the inaugural cohort of Pre-Health Fellows by submitting an application.
- Applications will open March 30, 2026
- Applications will be accepted until April 15, 2026
- Application decisions will be released in early May 2026
- Fellowship kick-off meeting August 2026, date and time to be announced
Fellowship Details and Application Requirements
Sophomore Year
- Fall semester: Communication and community building
- Spring semester: Introduction to service and shadowing opportunities
Junior Year
- Fall semester: Exploring exam and application requirements
- Spring semester: Application and interview preparation
Senior Year
- Fall semester: Application accountability groups and peer support
- Spring semester: Celebrating, pivoting and processing upcoming life changes
- Minimum of three (3) years remaining as an undergraduate student on the USC Columbia Campus
- Intent to pursue a healthcare profession program
NOTE: Students currently enrolled in the following programs are not eligible to apply: Smart Start Nursing Pathway, Pharmacy, BARSC-M.D.
- Commit to four (4) semesters on campus in the program (ideally during sophomore and junior years)
- Enroll in a mandatory SCHC course, which counts as an Honors elective, in the spring of the students’ first year of the program
- Participation in enrichment activities
- Completion of semesterly reflections
Have Questions?
Students who would like more information should email the Honors College experiential learning coordinator, Courtney Meyer, Ph.D., ATC.