Health Professions Evaluation Committee
Very likely, you have heard a mention of “HPEC” or “committee letter” and wondered what these were.
The Health Professions Evaluation Committee, also referred to as HPEC, is a group of faculty members and the Director of Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Program, who work with prospective applicants during the spring semester immediately preceding the application to professional schools.
The Committee, divided into two-person interviewing teams, evaluates the applicants’ written materials, interviews prospective applicants, and then writes a letter of evaluation.
HPEC Letter of Evaluation
The HPEC letter is a narrative overview and description of the applicant, and the applicant’s background, academics, clinical exposure and experience, service and volunteering engagement, and research. Applicants are evaluated in these areas and given an evaluation rating based on the above categories. This letter is viewed by admissions officers as a sign of the University’s support for the applicant.
Any prospective applicant applying to medical, dental, optometry, and podiatry school who submits the required materials by the deadline is eligible to participate in the HPEC process.
Veterinary Medicine (DVM) schools and Physician Assistant (PA) programs generally do not accept HPEC letters.
HPEC Timeline
The HPEC process kicks off each year anew with a meeting sponsored by the HPO (Health Professions Organization) and conducted by a pre-health advisor in late October or early November preceding the application year.
Attendance at this meeting is mandatory for all juniors, seniors, and alumni who are planning to apply in the upcoming application cycle (for example, November 2021 meeting was mandatory for prospective applicants planning on applying in the summer of 2022 for 2023 matriculation).
During this meeting, the HPEC process and materials are explained, and prospective applicants are made aware of important deadlines and the general application process to health profession schools. Prospective applicants gain access to HPEC materials in December and have until the deadline in late February or early March (the dates vary somewhat from year to year) to complete the required documents.
Once all HPEC materials are received, the prospective applicant is assigned to an interview team. HPEC interviews generally occur between late March and mid-May. Your interview team will compose an HPEC letter based on the materials you submitted, as well as your interview.
If you are an alumnus/a and would like to go through HPEC, contact the Office of Health Professions at prehealth@scranton.edu to discuss your eligibility, competitiveness, and overall readiness to apply.