Our department is deeply committed to empowering students from all walks of life, especially those who face financial challenges. We understand that education is a powerful tool for change, and we are dedicated to making it accessible to everyone.

Available Scholarships:

• June C Alcott Fellowship
• Thorpe Mitchell Leadership Development Award
• Division Based Scholarships

For more information on each scholarship and to start your application, visit the Financial Assistance page on our website or contact us at HealthSciencesFinAid@unc.edu.

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Five programs eligible received top 10 placements on the national list, and four programs improved position from last year’s rankings.

• #2 – Doctor of Audiology
• #5 – Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
• #7 – Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling
• #7 – Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
• #10 – Doctor of Physical Therapy

“It is an honor to be recognized by our peers as top 10 health professions programs in the country,” said Dr. Christopher D. Ingersoll, Senior Associate Dean of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Health Sciences. “I am proud of our faculty, staff and students for the outstanding efforts they put in to teaching, research and patient care to advance the health of our community, North Carolina and beyond.”

The Department of Health Sciences, housed within ������-Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine, is comprised of eight divisions that house 14 graduate and undergraduate programs, plus additional centers and units spanning a range of health sciences professions.

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The morning began with a delightful breakfast, followed by welcome and introductions from Chris Ingersoll, PhD and Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC. The highlight of the event was the Keynote Address delivered by , titled “AI:��Transforming the Future.” McNeilly’s presentation explored the impact of artificial intelligence in today’s society, sparking thoughtful discussions and inspiring attendees to consider the future possibilities of AI in their respective fields.

After the keynote, participants divided into breakout rooms by discipline. These focused sessions allowed for more in-depth discussions, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas among professionals from various specialties.

The Department of Health Sciences sincerely appreciates all clinical preceptors. Their dedication and expertise are essential to the success of healthcare education programs, and this event served as a reminder of their significant impact.

The 2025 Spring Clinical Preceptor Appreciation event left attendees inspired and grateful for the opportunity to connect and celebrate the contributions of their peers.

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Autism Awareness Month

April 1-30, 2025

celebrates and honors the identities and experiences of Autistic individuals. The month aims to recognize that autism is more than just a diagnosis and that there are both challenges and triumphs for those with autism. It emphasizes understanding, inclusion, and support, and moving beyond awareness of the diagnosis and experiences to a meaningful acceptance in society and across the world.

Occupational Therapy Month

April 1-30, 2025

commemorates occupational therapy (OT) as a profession and the professionals that make it what it is. For 2025, the theme this year is, “Occupational Therapy: Inspiring Hope, Changing Lives.” It is also meant to bring public awareness to the profession.

World Autism Awareness Day

April 2, 2025

is celebrated this year with the theme of “Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” which highlights the intersectionality between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts and showcases how inclusive policies and practices can drive more positive changes for autistic individuals worldwide.

Medical Lab Professionals Week

April 20-26, 2025

(MLPW) recognizes the work of all departments and disciplines that medical laboratory professionals contribute to and play a vital role in patient advocacy.

Administrative Professionals Day

April 23, 2025

On Administrative Professionals Day we recognize the contributions of all of our support staff.��

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Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

March 2025

Every March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) leads to highlight the importance of inclusive communities. The 2025 theme, “We’re Here All Year,” emphasizes that accessibility and opportunities for people with developmental disabilities should be championed every day. Established in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, DDAM reminds us that individuals with developmental disabilities are valuable community members deserving full participation in all aspects of life. True awareness requires year-round commitment to creating accessible environments and opportunities.

National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month

March 2025

National MS Education and Awareness Month, organized by MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and its partners, aims to increase public awareness of multiple sclerosis. This campaign seeks to enhance understanding of the disease’s impact and support individuals with MS in making informed healthcare decisions. You can get involved with .

National Women’s History Month

March 2025

is celebrated every March in the United States to honor and recognize the contributions of women throughout history. Established in 1987, this month-long observance highlights the achievements and impact of women in various fields, including education, politics, science, and the arts.

Sleep Apnea Awareness Month

March 2025

This month is dedicated to sleep apnea, showing the importance of good sleeping habits, and learning how to effectively manage your sleep apnea. Check out these .

Brain Awareness Week

March 10-16, 2025

This week is centered around global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Every March, event organizers include colleges and universities, hospitals, and more host imaginative activities in their communities that share the wonders of the brain, and the impact brain science has on our everyday lives, as well as showing the importance of caring for your brain. .

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Students donned their white coats on stage, and upon return to their seats the group stood and recited the Hippocratic Oath for the first time together, led by Allison Phillips PA-C.

The Division of Physician Assistant Studies looks forward to seeing the great things each cohort will accomplish both during their time at ������ and upon entering the workforce.

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Statewide Collaboration to Promote Paths to Health Sciences Professions

The idea for TarHeal Tour was born from conversations between Division of Clinical Laboratory Science Assistant Professor Susan Taylor, Melissa Leeds and Barbara Burt, both from the North Carolina Department of Instruction (DPI). Taylor was interested in garnering interest in laboratory professions for students and sustaining that interest by getting teachers – particularly those in Health Sciences – excited about laboratory professions as well. Their conversations evolved into a partnership between the university and the DPI to create an event that would generate awareness of health sciences professions and the multiple pathways high school students can take to enter those professions, including laboratory science.

Prior to her connection with the DPI, Taylor had been building relationships across the state through the Office of Rural Initiatives at ������, where she and her colleagues provided career day tabling events and in-class programs for students in rural area high schools.

“It was clear to me that our goal of driving health sciences career awareness would be best served by focusing on the teachers,” said Taylor. “Teachers know their students, their interests and strengths and can expose students to career ideas that may have not been considered previously. Plus, teachers remain at the school after their students graduate, so the knowledge base is more sustainable.”

With the teachers already gathered at their Annual CTE Summer Meeting at the Benton Convention Center in nearby Winston Salem, the TarHeal Tour team offered the event as a VIP activity for CTE at the conclusion of their meeting.

������ Health Professions Welcome Health Sciences Teachers to Campus

On the morning of the event, 27 CTE teachers were welcomed at the Bell Tower by Rameses Jr., along with program leaders and supporters. From there, the group moved to Roper Hall and had the opportunity to see their “name in lights” on the big screen over Kenan Stadium. Over breakfast, the group discussed the ongoing healthcare workforce shortages across the state, with emphasis that the teachers were key to supporting their students’ interest and awareness.

To give more insight into the health professions careers available to their students, the teachers rotated to career experiences in the Adams School of Dentistry and Eshelman School of Pharmacy, lab simulation in the School of Medicine’s Roper Hall, and received a tour of McLendon Labs within ������ Hospitals. The Division of Radiologic Science, the Department of Health Sciences’ second undergraduate program representative for the event, presented during lunch.

The simulations and lab experiences in the School of Medicine and School of Dentistry offered an attractive draw for teachers to add in-person experience to some information they already know about those professions. From there, the TarHeal Tour Team were able to expand upon their experience by sharing about the value of pharmacy, laboratory and radiologic science careers and their contributions to the interprofessional activity that contributes to the health and wellness of each patient.

Key Takeaways and Future Opportunities

“The event was the first of its kind for these teachers,” said Taylor. “The format has been proven to work for them, and they were very positive about their experience – one participant shared that it was the best conference session they had attended in their past five years of teaching.”

In a survey following the event, participants indicated that before attending TarHeal Tour, most (48 percent) were only somewhat aware of the healthcare workforce shortages in North Carolina. After the event, 100 percent of respondents indicated they were aware of the shortages across the state. Respondents were eager to continue receiving information from the event organizers and hoped to continue learning from other health professions in future events.

The success of TarHeal Tour 2024 indicates a growing need for communication and partnership between health professions, particularly those programs at state universities like ������, to help strengthen the pipeline of North Carolina students entering health sciences fields and, in effect, help alleviate the ongoing workforce shortages in these fields.

For Taylor and the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science, the success of TarHeal Tour and other initiatives – including the Lab Life on the Hill Live Stream – continue to open doors to educate teachers across the state about the profession. Later this fall, CLS faculty will visit the southeast portion of the state for a Steeples Grant-funded, full-day event at Cape Fear Community College. The event will focus on 15 CTE teachers and Career Development Coordinators from each of the five counties in the SEAHEC region.

In the future, Taylor hopes to offer mentoring opportunities for high school students who are interested in pursuing clinical laboratory science in college, to support them along their path toward the profession. Additionally, opportunities for other Department of Health Sciences programs – both undergraduate and graduate level – to participate in day-long education events would allow for teachers to fully explore potential opportunities for their students.

Acknowledgements

The Office of Rural Initiatives, Nicole Cornett and Edye Barbour, paid for and completed all of the operational organizing and heavy lifting for TarHeal Tour 2024. Programming at the Adams School of Dentistry was led by Lamont Lowery, School of Medicine Programming by Nicole Cornett, and programming at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy was led by Jana Smith. Dr. Tara Moon and Lisa Cremeans lead tours of McLendon Laboratories and Randy Gay presented on behalf of Radiologic Science. Joy Renner was instrumental in getting the CTE teacher up in lights at Kenan Stadium.

The Department of Health Sciences appreciates the teamwork and collaboration involved in the creation and execution of the event and looks forward to future opportunities to continue working together to advance ������’s mission – including during TarHeal Tour 2025, for which funding has already been secured.

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