Auburn University: Auburn University’s Society of Health Professionals advancing on campus, providing support for pre-health students
The Auburn Society of Health Professionals, or SHP, an alumni group dedicated to equipping Auburn University pre-health students with the skills they need for life in the health care industry, is making an impact on campus.
SHP is a valuable resource for students at Auburn interested in health professional school. This fall, SHP, in coordination with the College of Sciences and Mathematics, or COSAM—featured a Von Hogans Plastination exhibit, an educational resource for teaching current and future healthcare professionals showcasing advancements from Dr. Gunther von Hagens—at its annual meeting.
Anatomic excellence representative Graham Whiteside presented a small range of human tissue specimens, including silicone plastinates, blood vessel configurations and sheet plastinates all further developed by Dr. von Hagens. Exhibits like these are at the heart of SHP’s mission to provide support for the pre-health student of Auburn.
“It is our privilege to provide numerous opportunities, including mentoring and shadowing, along with scholarship support to deserving students,” said SHP President Clay Harper. “SHP members are generous with their time, talents and treasures to enrich the education of tomorrow’s practitioners, and for that, we are grateful.”
In addition to the exhibit, SHP featured a video recording of Madison Hogans, author of a new resource book for students with medical school aspirations titled “How To Build A Physician.”
As an Auburn University alumna and former pre-health student, Hogans is a glowing example of how SHP is preparing students for medical school and other higher education pathways in health care. Utilizing her Auburn education and her own real-world experience, “How To Build A Physician” was written to detail all steps of the medical school application process from standardized test prep to post-admission advice.
Hogans is no stranger to the admission process. In May 2022, she graduated from Auburn with a degree in biomedical sciences on a pre-med track. She is now a student at the University of South Alabama, where she was granted a full-ride scholarship. Most recently, Hogans was honored with the Underwood Minority Scholarship Award, which aids pre-health students with medical school expenses.
Additionally, SHP members were given an update on COSAM’s pre-health program, the goals of which are to create competitiveness for graduate admissions, offer advice concerning academic entrance test preparation and provide guidance to students interested in attending pre-health professional schools.
Anna Traylor serves as the assistant director of pre-health programs at Auburn and praised SHP’s role with Auburn students.
“Support from organizations like SHP is crucial to our program’s and students’ success,” Traylor said. “Through their generosity, we can help connect pre-health students with valuable shadowing and internship opportunities, as well as scholarships.”
SHP has proven vital to the enhancement of pre-health students at Auburn and is only advancing more and more each year. Mentorship by Hogans, Traylor and many more individuals is a big part of how the skills learned through SHP are utilized by students long after they leave the Plains.