Health Science Academy
Championing Diversity in the Health
Professions
Since 1994, the Health Science Academy (HSA) STEM pipeline afterschool program has served over 3,000 students including middle school, 9th graders, Academy (the 3-year program) students, and our alumni. For the Fall 2023/Spring 2024 academic year, HSA anticipates serving over 250 students, grades 6-12 and our alumni: the 3-year Academy (10th -12th grades) will serve approximately 120 scholars from 10 partner high schools; in Spring 2024, HSA expects to serve approximately 80 students for the 9th Grade Bridge, and over 60 students for its middle school program with our partner, Walt Whitman Middle School.
For the 2023/24 academic year HSA’s Academy Hybrid Learning (AHL) has returned to conducting all 10 weeks of the clinical portion (e.g., Respiratory System) of the 13-week semester in-person at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s campus.
The COVID-19 vaccination requirement has been revoked! Spring 2024 applicants for the 9th Grade Bridge (the Class of 2027 entering the Academy in Fall 2024) are not required to be COVID-19 vaccinated.
Class of 2027 applicants (currently HS freshmen) to the 3-year Academy, please note that Part 1 of the application is due on Friday, Feb 2, 2024. The mandatory prerequisite, the 9th Grade Bridge program begins Saturday, March 9, 2024. Note that the 8-session 9th Grade Bridge program will be conducted with all sessions in-person at SUNY DS on Saturdays, 10:00am-12:30pm. If you are a student at one of our partner schools, please follow-up with your HSA Liaison. If you are applying from a non-affiliated school, or you don’t know who your Liaison is, complete Part 1 of the application and we will follow-up with you.
To Learn More About the Academy and Apply
"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation." – Arthur Ashe
OUR SCHOLARS: THEIR STORIES
Dr. Keisha Barry
Nicole McLean, MPH
HSA Class of 2009
Howard School of Medicine Class of 2020
“The Health Science Academy helped me understand the factors that affect health, which have helped me in medical school, but it also made me identify and improve my study habits, taught me how ask for help and to collaborate.”
Marco Diaz, MS
HSA Class of 2008
Sportsball 2017 USTA 1968 Scholarship Recipient
"I am so grateful I had this opportunity...If I had one piece of advice for current HSA students it would be to really take your studies seriously and take advantage of all the help that is offered.”
HSA Class of 2009
SUNY Downstate University Med School Class of 2017
“The important thing about the Health Science Academy,” says Barry, “is that through being at Downstate you get to see a range of professionals working in healthcare and come to understand that there are many ways to serve.”
