PHEVERS

The Pre-Health Experience in Volunteering, Education, Research, & Shadowing (a.k.a. PHEVERS...pronounced "fevers") program is a co-curricular professional development program specifically designed for pre-health students. Completing the PHEVERS program helps students to be more competitive applicants for professional programs, allows them to understand the healthcare system at a deeper level, and assists them in building their professional networks.

Through the PHEVERS program, students develop their Pre-Health Pathways Competencies and develop a deeper understanding of health careers and healthcare issues. The following Pre-Health Pathways Competencies were developed by faculty and staff at South Dakota Mines serving on the Pre-Health Professions Internal Advisory Board:

• Science Competencies: Students will demonstrate a competency for the requisite biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and social sciences for successful admission into health-related graduate or professional programs.
• Critical Thinking & Reasoning Competencies: Students will develop problem-solving skills in areas of scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning.
• Communication Competencies: Students will demonstrate proficiency in professional written and oral communication, including use of professional electronic communication and maintaining responsible digital footprints.
• Intrapersonal Competencies: Students will exemplify high standards of ethical responsibility, reliability, dependability, resilience, adaptability, capacity for self-improvement, and life-long learning.
• Interpersonal Competencies: Students will demonstrate high levels of social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, and service orientation.

The PHEVERS program also helps students connect with peers and local healthcare professional as well as to opportunities for engaging in volunteer, research, and shadowing activities. As a member of the program, students become part of a cohort of pre-health students with similar career interests. 

To complete the program, students must:

• Attend monthly meetings for training and gaining relevant career information
• Complete tasks in each of the 4 areas:
• Volunteering: Students must accrue at least 200 hours of volunteering (50 of those hours must be medically-relevant)
• Education: Students must participate in 6 pre-health learning events (education of self) and 4 outreach activities (education of others)
• Research:  Students must be involved in at least one scientific research project and present the work to others in a formal, non-classroom setting (e.g. poster presentation, oral presentation, formal report, or scientific publication)
• Shadowing: Students must shadow at least 2 professionals in different healthcare roles for a minimum of 50 hours
• Submit documentation and reflection forms on PHEVERS activities at the end of each semester and participate in PHEVERS-sponsored activities or surveys as assigned

There is no time limit for completing the PHEVERS program at South Dakota Mines nor are there any restrictions regarding when a student is able to start the program. Students must either be currently enrolled or an alumnus to participate in the program. Students do not have to be degree-seeking to participate in the program. Interested students should contact Dr. J for additional information. 

Students may apply to the PHEVERS program by submitting THIS APPLICATION FORM and e-mailing Dr. J to confirm their submission and check the status of their application.