A health sciences summer pathways program offers undergrads from across the country a six-week slice of life as a graduate health professional student — and connections to last a lifetime.

^{Image by Tom Kojcsich, University Relations}

As director of special programs for student recruitment and retention and an associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the VCU College of Health Professions, Cheryl Ford-Smith created a physical therapy-focused high school program in the 2000s and was used to managing every aspect of a pathway program, from recruitment to education of participants. When VCU established the Division for Health Sciences Diversity and its pathway programs, Ford-Smith could put her focus back on what she does best: establishing relationships with pre-health students and educating them about the profession and VCU’s program.

Read more about student experiences at the Summer Academic Enrichment Program.