The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in partnership with University of Tennessee Health Sciences, is launching the University Honors Health Fellows Program this fall to strengthen Tennessee’s healthcare workforce and retain the state’s top-tier medical talent by providing expanded opportunities to exceptional undergraduate students.
The initiative establishes a pathway that supports qualifying students through undergraduate study and graduate-level professional programs — positioning them as highly qualified candidates for premier medical and graduate health professions programs while building Tennessee’s internal healthcare pipeline.
“UT Knoxville is uniquely positioned to build a best-in-class pipeline for Tennessee students who aspire to serve Tennessee communities,” said UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman. “By connecting our nationally recognized honors experience with UT Health Sciences’ outstanding graduate and professional programs, we’re expanding opportunity for high-achieving students while addressing a critical workforce need for the state.”
UTHS Chancellor Peter Buckley said Tennessee’s ability to improve health outcomes depends on developing and retaining exceptional healthcare professionals. “This partnership creates a clear, rigorous path into UT Health Sciences’ premier programs and gives students early exposure to the academic and clinical expectations of professional education — so they are prepared to lead and to serve,” he said.
Guaranteed admissions pathway for top performers
The University Honors Health Fellows Program represents a formal, strategic partnership between UT Knoxville’s Division of Student Success, which includes University Honors, and UTHS. It establishes a seamless pathway with guaranteed admissions into UT Health Sciences graduate programs for top-performing students who meet strict academic and professional benchmarks.
University Honors will select each year’s cohort of participating students and coordinate their advising, student experience and progress in the pathway. UTHS will oversee specialized advising, mentor matching, clinical placement and professional program application in addition to conducting a seminar and summer clinical intensive for participating students.
“This is a high-support, high-expectation program designed to make outstanding students even stronger candidates for the nation’s most competitive health professional programs,” said Amber Williams, senior vice provost for student success and chief honors officer at UT Knoxville. “We’re creating transparency in the pathway — clear guardrails, intentional advising and a cohort experience that builds leadership, ethical decision-making and a deep commitment to serving Tennesseans.”
Program details
To be considered for the program, students must meet exceptional academic criteria, with a minimum score of 34 on the ACT and a high school GPA of 4.5 or higher. To maintain guaranteed graduate-level admission status, participants must meet rigorous undergraduate benchmarks:
- 3.75 cumulative GPA and science and math GPA
- Completion of healthcare service hours
- Completion of professional admissions exam preparation
University Honors Health Fellows will participate in a specialized seminar, Leadership in Health Careers. The seminar will emphasize healthcare management and ethics and be taught by UT Health Sciences faculty.
Following their sophomore year, they will complete a one-week summer clinical intensive at UTHS in Memphis, providing them with early access to high-fidelity simulation labs and healthcare faculty mentorship.
UT Health Sciences is reserving 50 seats annually across premier doctoral- and master’s-level professional programs for University Honors Health Fellows:
- Medicine: 10 seats
- Dentistry: 10 seats
- Pharmacy: 15 seats
- Physical Therapy: 5 seats
- Occupational Therapy: 5 seats
- Pathologists’ Assistant: 2 seats
- Physician Assistant: 3 seats
“This program creates a direct connection between some of Tennessee’s most talented students and the exceptional graduate and professional education opportunities available at UT Health Sciences,” said Charles Snyder, vice chancellor for student success and chief student affairs officer at UT Health Sciences. “They will graduate not only exceptionally well trained but also deeply committed to improving health outcomes and strengthening communities across Tennessee. That’s what Healthy Tennesseans, Thriving Communities is all about.”
Program launch
The program is launching this fall semester with an inaugural cohort composed of UT Knoxville juniors, sophomores and first-year students. Active recruitment at the high-school level for the first cohort of first-year students will begin in fall 2027.
A second initiative, Vol Pre-Health Navigators, is in development. It will align student support, advising and developmental programming, strengthening preparation and competitiveness for all UT students pursuing health careers.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tyra Haag (865-974-5460, [email protected])
Peggy Reisser (901-448-4072, [email protected])