Top Story Archive

Health and Wellness Services Available to Students

UWF Offers New Program for Aspiring Medical Professionals

Argo PALs Help Incoming Students Find Their Way Academically

Health and Wellness Services Available to Students
By Lauren Smith, University Marketing Communications

College life can be an exhilarating experience, but it can also be stressful. The University of West Florida Counseling and Wellness Services offers a variety of services to help students achieve and maintain mental and physical health. Counseling Services offers counseling and therapy to help students while Wellness Services promotes health programs, such as alcohol misuse and abuse prevention, sexual health promotion and sexual assault prevention.

“The primary goal of counseling is to help students develop the personal awareness and skills necessary to overcome problems and to develop in ways that will allow them to take advantage of the educational opportunities at the university,” said director Rebecca Kennedy.

Kennedy said the fall semester was a busy time. However, she assured that appointments are now available and encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity to speak with licensed counselors. There are a variety of counseling options, from individual counseling to couples counseling to career counseling.

Joel Brown, a graduate student at UWF who is working on his last semester of a master’s in education with an emphasis in college student personnel administration, believes Counseling and Wellness Services is one of the top resources available to students on campus.

“UWF is a home away from home for students coming from all different kinds of experiences and backgrounds,” he said. “Counseling and Wellness Services is here for the students and I hope students are able to capitalize on this resource while attending UWF.”

Students also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of “Living Well” workshops each semester, including the upcoming “Building Better Romantic Relationships” scheduled for Feb. 9 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the University Commons, Room 272. Also, Wellness Services offers several interactive programs and workshops designed for facilitation in the classroom, group organization or resident hall.

Lindsey Greeson, UWF peer educator advisor, said that these programs are designed to be fun, while teaching students important life lessons.

“Wellness Services staff and Peer Educators develop and implement campus-wide programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles among college students,” said Greeson. “I am always excited about providing preventive education to such a large and diverse community of students here at UWF, whether it is through an event, program or workshop!”

Students who are interested in scheduling a counseling appointment can call Counseling Services at (850) 474-2420 or visit Building 19, West Entrance, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Students who need to speak to someone immediately after hours may contact the UWF switchboard at (850) 474-2000 to inform the operator that he or she needs to speak with someone from the Counseling Center. To learn more about Wellness Services or to request services, visit uwf.edu/cws/wellness/programs/index.cfm or contact Greeson at lgreeson@uwf.edu.

For more information about UWF Counseling and Wellness Services, visit uwf.edu/cws.

UWF Offers New Program for Aspiring Medical Professionals
By Lauren Smith, University Marketing Communications

Some people just know from a young age that they want to enter the medical profession. For others, the desire may not present itself until after they’ve completed a baccalaureate degree in an unrelated program. Then what? Aspiring medical professionals need not worry. The University of West Florida now offers a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Preparation Program (P4 Program) for students who hold a baccalaureate degree but do not have the science courses necessary to qualify for admission to a professional school.

“The P4 program serves as an ideal platform for students to take the courses necessary to successfully apply to medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, physical therapy and other professional schools in the health sciences arena,” said George Stewart, chair of Biology.

The UWF P4 program opens a broad mosaic of support for these students, including a pre-professional advisory committee and pre-professional adviser; five pre-professional student organizations, which offer critical leads, sources of information, networks and academic support; and a departmental advisor and faculty who are well-versed in information integral to a successful application to a professional school. 

According to Stewart, approximately 25 percent of medical students do not hold an undergraduate degree in science. With programs like P4, entering the medical profession is a viable option for people who otherwise thought it impossible. Ryan Farrell, ’00, shares his story:  

“When I decided to pursue a career in medicine, I knew I had a long road ahead of me, but navigating that road would have been impossible without the guidance of the professors and advisers of UWF’s P4 program,” he said. 

Farrell graduated from UWF in 2000 with a BA in International Studies, which is a mix of history and politics and requires few science courses. In order to meet the basic requirements to apply to medical school, he needed to take a considerable number of science courses. 

“The P4 advisers helped me lay out a curriculum plan to not only get the courses I needed, but also get them in an order to maximize my effectiveness on the MCAT, a required test that I scored well on thanks to UWF’s excellent science professors,” said Farrell. “Without the P4 program, I would have wasted a lot of time and money. Although I have not been accepted into a medical program yet, I have received interest and interviews from several universities and remain confident that I will achieve my goal.” 

A UWF advising team helps prepare students like Farrell for success by offering one-on-one advising sessions during which returning students can discuss their goals, look at degree options and timelines. The team provides mock interviews and writes collective letters of support which are critical to the application process for many professional schools in the health sciences. 

Students in the P4 program also have the opportunity to get hands on clinical experience if they take the elective course “Clinical Experience in Health Care,” which places students in clinical settings within the region. 

For more information about the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Preparation Program, visit uwf.edu/biology/preprofessional/postbac or call (850) 474-3060. 

Argo PALs Help Incoming Students Find Their Way Academically
By Susie Forrester, University Marketing Communications

The transition from high school to university campus can be daunting for some, but UWF has eight students on the frontlines to provide support academically.

They are called Argo PALs or Argo Peer Assistant Leaders. The program is in its second year and works directly with the Delphi living-learning community through the Department of Student Transition Programs and Housing and Residence Life. There are six Argo PALS in Martin Hall and two in Southside Village where they serve as advisors, confidants, mentors and guidance counselors. Through the program, the Argo PALs are the voice of experience for new students on a variety of topics, such as making time to study or arranging their class schedule.

“While resident assistants (RAs) help incoming students settle into their residence halls and meet new friends, Argo PALs provide help in the area of academics,” said Kaitlin Oyler, coordinator for Student Transition Programs. “They are like academic RAs.”

Each Argo PAL gets to know each of the 60 students under his or her purview and living in the same space through informal, but scheduled gatherings and just saying hello in the hallways. Also, once a month, the PALs conduct “Knock and Talk” – it’s where each Argo PAL knocks on the door of each student to discuss some pertinent information and to drop off some written information on the topic as well. The program is a way to disperse information, in a personal way, to new students.    

Also, each year a book is designated the “common read” and all eight Argo PALs and in-coming students are invited to gather to discuss the book at a scheduled event open to all students on campus. This year’s book is “Waiting for the Barbarians.”  

Oyler said participation in the mentoring program benefits everyone involved. Being an Argo PAL allows students to develop or polish leadership skills while at the same time building their self confidence. Plus, some students just enjoy serving as a mentor to others.

UWF junior Jodie Gray, a third-year Argo PAL, is an example.

“I feel lucky to have found an academic track that suits me and is really enjoyable to be a part of,” said Gray, who is majoring in physics. “I hope to help freshmen who may not have found their calling discover their strengths, and hopefully, set them in a direction that will make their (academic) college experience more fun than they expected.”

For more information about Argo PALs, contact Kaitlin Oyler, coordinator for student transition program, at (850) 474-2384 or e-mail koyler@uwf.edu or visit the Department of Student Transition Programs in Building 21.