Fourteen Springfield-area high school students are better prepared to become physicians after graduating from the Physician Pipeline Preparatory Program (P 4 ), a four-year program sponsored by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield Public Schools and the Sangamon County Medical Society. The P 4 graduation was held in the South Auditorium at SIU’s main instructional building, 801 N. Rutledge St. on February 13. The Pipeline Program, established in 2009, was designed to encourage local students in grades 9-12 who are interested in becoming doctors. Students are presented