Health Professions Career Center History

The North Carolina Health Careers Access Program at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) was established in 1972 as a component of the North Carolina Manpower Development Program. The name of the program was changed to North Carolina Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP) at NCCU in 1991.

This program — along with the academic preparation provided by our outstanding faculty and staff — assists in strengthening the basic science knowledge and test-taking skills of minorities as well as disadvantaged students to improve their competitiveness for entry into schools of medicine, optometry, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy, podiatry, and public health, as well as other health science-related programs.  Since 1972, medical and health-related initiatives have been successful in assisting students in gaining admission to health and medical professional programs.

The Health Professions Career Center (HPCC) was located at 521 Nelson Street until October 2013, when it was relocated to 1242 Mary Townes Science Complex.  The office serves as an informational resource center for preparing disadvantaged and minority students for the health sciences and medical professions.

The HPCC director is the advisor for several student clubs. Other related resources include brochures, videos, catalogs, journals and handouts on the health and medical professions. Members of the student organizations volunteer by assisting staff in answering questions, tutoring and referring other students to academic and student life resources on campus and in the community.

The continued increase in the number of NCCU students applying to and being accepted to health professional schools is very encouraging. The center's mission is as important as ever, as statistics show that there is a need for more representation of minorities in the health and medical professions.