New pre-health organization hopes to expand opportunities for students looking to enter health fields

The Pacer Pre-Health Organization at the University of South Carolina Aiken is working to give students the resources they need to excel in health-related fields including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and more.

The organization serves as an outlet for faculty to assist current and incoming freshmen with career advisement, job shadowing, preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and workshops.

"This all started as a conversation with my colleagues," said Dr. Mary Mills, assistant professor of biology at USC Aiken. Mills, along with Susan Glenn, a senior instructor of chemistry & physics at USC Aiken, started the organization with the help of Dr. Scott McKay, dean of USC Aiken's College of Sciences and Engineering.

Starting this semester, Mills said the organization will expand to include nursing majors. "During orientation this summer, I started to see a huge influx of people not just interested in pre-med but nursing too. This could give those students the opportunity to meet new people and get the help they need."

Mills said the fall semester will focus on making sure students know their timelines so they're ready for their exams in the spring semester. "We're hoping we can bring in more medical experts from the area to talk with students."

Pacer Pre-Health will have its first meeting in September. Those interested can contact Mills at marymi@usca.edu or Glenn at susanglenn@usca.edu to be added to the TEAMs page.

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For more information, contact Angela Saxon, Angela.Saxon@usca.edu