Sustained Impact for Pre-Health Students: Fall Semester Highlights

The fall 2025 semester marked a significant period of growth and impact for Seton Hall University’s Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC). During this time, the center expanded its services, programming, and resources to support an additional 800 pre-law undergraduate students, complementing its existing pre-health population of more than 1,000 students. Despite this expansion, PPAC remained steadfast in its commitment to fully supporting pre-health students, ensuring continued access to personalized advising, experiential learning opportunities and the resources essential for success.

Throughout the semester, PPAC delivered a robust slate of workshops, networking events and hands-on experiences designed to provide students with practical preparation, professional insight and meaningful connections to guide their pre-health journeys.

The semester opened with PPAC’s annual Pre-Health Social and Orientation, welcoming first-semester students and introducing them to the center’s advising services, resources and programming. The event established a strong foundation focused on exploration, preparation and community-building for aspiring healthcare professionals.

Building on this momentum, PPAC launched the Med Talks Guest Speaker Series, featuring board-certified specialists from a wide range of fields, including obstetrics and gynecology/pelvic reconstruction, dentistry, podiatry, pediatric surgery, anesthesiology and general surgery. Students gained firsthand insight into diverse career paths, training experiences and the realities of day-to-day clinical practice. The series was further enriched by the participation of two alumnae, who shared their journeys from undergraduate education to professional practice, offering relatable and inspiring perspectives.

A standout event within the series was the Interprofessional Healthcare Panel, which brought together professionals from physician assistant studies, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, athletic training and occupational therapy. Panelists highlighted how each profession contributes to patient care and emphasized the value of team-based collaboration. Through real-world scenarios, students developed a deeper understanding of how coordinated, interprofessional care supports patient recovery, function and overall well-being.

PPAC also introduced the Pre-Health Volunteer Fair, connecting students with local hospitals, summer camps serving individuals with special needs, EMT programs, non-profit organizations and community partners. This initiative enabled students to explore meaningful volunteer opportunities, gain clinical exposure and earn service hours, key components of competitive professional school applications. In addition, PPAC hosted a Suture Clinic, providing students with hands-on training in basic suturing techniques taught by the US Army. This practical session helped students build essential clinical skills and confidence in preparation for future healthcare experiences.

Individualized advising remained a cornerstone of PPAC’s support. One-on-one appointments helped students stay on track academically, prepare for standardized exams, develop study plans and practice mock interviews. Weekly drop-in hours offered additional opportunities for students to ask questions, connect with peers and attend mini-workshops addressing topics such as imposter syndrome, summer enrichment programs, study abroad opportunities and healthcare career exploration. Students also benefited from the P-PAC Mentorship Network, which connected them with peers and medical students from Seton Hall University, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, providing guidance, encouragement and support.

The AY 27 Medical School Application Kick-Off event supported students preparing for the upcoming application cycle by offering comprehensive guidance on every component of the application process. The event outlined timelines, practical strategies and resources to help students approach the cycle with confidence. In addition, PPAC delivered extensive MCAT support, including registration assistance, a student panel, curated study resources and flashcards and funded content review sessions led by expert faculty, all aimed at reducing barriers and ensuring students are well prepared for the exam.

With the inclusion of pre-law students, the PPAC community has become increasingly interconnected. The center has observed a natural overlap between healthcare and law, underscoring the importance of preparing future physicians who understand the legal system and future attorneys who understand healthcare. To foster this interdisciplinary synergy, PPAC concluded the semester with Hope for the Holidays, a service and networking event where pre-law and pre-health student leaders collaborated to advocate for affordable healthcare, register as bone marrow donors and participate in other meaningful service initiatives. This collaboration further strengthened the Pre-Professional community, making it more inclusive, collaborative and impactful.

Throughout the semester, PPAC partnered with student leaders, clubs and organizations to co-host events, reinforcing a vibrant, student-centered pre-health community. These efforts reflect the center’s continued commitment to accessible advising, experiential learning and comprehensive support for students navigating the professional school application process.

As the spring semester approaches, PPAC looks forward to building on this momentum with continued programming, advising and opportunities that empower students to explore, prepare and thrive in their pursuit of healthcare professions. Pre-health and pre-med students are encouraged to schedule advising appointments through COMPASS, join the PPAC email list, and follow the P-PAC on Instagram @setonhall_ppac.

Categories: Campus Life, Health and Medicine