Students have a chance to network and receive promotional materials today from different medical, pharmacy, dental, graduate, nursing and other types of schools at a health professions fair held at the University Recreation Center, a biology professor said.

Phil Hartman, professor of biology and chair of the TCU’s PreHealth Professions Advisory Committee, said the health professions fair, called DFW Swing, will take place from noon to 3 p.m.. The event is free.

Megan Canady, a senior biology major and president of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the honor society for pre-professional health science students, said the event is an opportunity to meet representatives from the different schools that will be in attendance.

“You can kind of narrow where you want to apply and what schools fit your personality the best,” Canady said.

Hartman said this is the first time an event of this nature has been held in the Metroplex, although other universities have hosted similar programs. He said he hopes it will become an annual event.

Representatives from Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Chiropractic College, UT Southwestern Medical School, Baylor College of Dentistry and other schools will attend the fair.

More than 30 health profession programs will be represented at the fair by doctors, deans, personnel from admissions offices and other individuals from their respective institutions, Hartman said.

Thomas Fawcett, admissions coordinator for the Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said the school is coming to the event to meet and find students interested in becoming licensed acupuncturists.

“I think it is a really good opportunity to reach out to students in the medical field,” Fawcett said. “We expect to meet a lot of talented and interesting students there.”

He said the school is looking for students with a strong academic background, an interest in becoming health care practitioners and an interest in becoming healers.

Jordan Dockery, a senior biology major, said she is planning to attend DFW Swing because she will be applying to medical schools this year.

“It really is a big honor for them to be coming here, and it is a great opportunity for all the pre-health students at TCU,” Dockery said.

Dockery said she hopes turnout for the event is good so that the pre-health programs will return to the event next year.

Hartman said DFW Swing evolved out of discussions at the Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions annual meetings.

DFW Swing will also happen at several other institutions in the Metroplex, Hartman said.

When: March 30, noon to 3 p.m.

Where: University Recreation Center