Pre-Professional Advising Center
Assisting students interested in attending Professional Schools:
Medical, Dental, Physician Assistant, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Law, and Optometry
Mission
The Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) at UNLV exists to serve all students interested in pursuing a career in health-related and law professions. We will assist and support students through comprehensive advising, maximizing resources, and encouragement, to achieve personal success and a competitive application to professional or law schools.
Vision
The Pre-Professional Advising Center is focused on learning, growth, and success. Through a collaborative, student-centered approach, the PPAC will guide students through development and implementation of academic and holistic plans to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals. We will provide advice and guidance to help students gain the necessary coursework, clinical and service experiences, and research for professional school applications. With an emphasis on responsibility, integrity, and professionalism, we will also help students define and understand personal attributes and competencies essential to be accepted to professional school.
Services
We are your one-stop shop for professional school help! Please watch this short video to see all we offer:
PPAC offers the following services to students:
- Assistance with navigating the application process for professional school
- Providing direction on supplemental application pieces, attaining relevant experiences in community service, clinical experience, volunteering, research, and extra-curriculars
- Comprehensive guide to what makes a well-qualified professional school applicant (personal attributes)
- Advising appointments tailored to students’ individual needs
- Guidance on academic requirements, curriculum, and policy information
**The pre-professional advising center is committed to serving our current UNLV students. Before making an appointment with the PPAC, you need to be admitted to UNLV. Thanks for your understanding!
***Please note: you will have two advisors as you complete your degree. Visit with your respective college academic advisor for all things related to your degree (course planning, petitions, change of majors, etc.). We can not sign off on SAP appeal forms, VA forms, etc. The PPAC will compliment your degree advising with guidance directly related to your professional school application.
To make an appointment with our advisors, please call or email:
Events
The Pre-Professional Advising Center offers many opportunities to pre-professional students to attend events, webinars, seminars, presentations, etc. These are invaluable resources to students applying to professional school! Please see our full calendar of events.
The PPAC will be hosting a variety of workshops for all UNLV students to aid in exploration of health and law careers, applying to professional schools, and personal statements.
For dates and more information:
Professional Track Information
Information & Resources
Health Professions Scholarship Program
For future and current MD, OD, PA and Dental school students, the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) offers two-, three- and four-year military scholarships. The HPSP covers civilian medical school tuition, pays for fees, provides a monthly living stipend and includes a signing bonus under certain conditions. This scholarship is offered by the Army, Navy and Air Force, and the benefits are the same across all three Services.
- Start applying at the same time you apply to professional schools. You can wait to apply, but you may wind up competing with more people for fewer slots, and each branch takes only about 300 students per year. Keep in mind that the acceptance process generally takes about three months.
- Contact a recruiter for each Service that interests you. You can apply solely to the Services that interest you, or you can apply to all three — Army, Navy or Air Force. Fill out a separate application for each Service that interests you.
- Once you are accepted to an accredited program, your recruiter or recruiters will finalize your application for review by the selection committee. Keep in touch with your recruiter during the process.
*If you are an active-duty commissioned service member or in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) or a Service academy, your application process will be the same as for civilians, except you will need to request a contingent release from active duty to apply to the HPSP from your Service branch. ROTC also requires an education delay form. If you are an active-duty enlisted service member, you will also need a LOA from your commander. Finally, if you are in the Reserve, you will need to request permission from your commanding officer.
When accepted and, as an HPSP scholarship participant, you will be an officer in the Individual Ready Reserve. For that reason, your requirements and benefits differ in some respects from service members on Active Duty. You do not wear a uniform to your classes, you are not eligible for active-duty pay unless on training orders and you are expected to attend officer training if you can fit it into your academic schedule. In the third year of medical school, you will start interviewing for residency positions, and you will participate in a military match process and possibly a civilian match process, which will determine where you go for residency.
For more information, please ask your PPAC Advisor for the most recent military recruiter contact information.
Frequently Asked Questions
**Disclaimer: All information given through the PPAC is only intended for general guidance on applying to professional school programs. It is a student's responsibility to attain specific information for all pre-professional requirements.
Staff
Melyssa Barrera
Rosalyn Jimenez
