Health Science Academy
Championing Diversity in the Health
Professions
Since 1994, the Health Science Academy (HSA) STEM pipeline afterschool program has served over 2,900 students including middle school, 9th graders, and our alumni. For the Fall 2022/Spring 2023 academic year, HSA anticipates serving over 250 students, grades 6-12 and our alumni: the 3-year Academy (10th -12th grades) will serve approximately 130 scholars from 10 partner high schools; in Spring 2023, HSA expects to serve approximately 60 students for the 9th Grade Bridge, and over 60 students for its middle school program with our partner, Walt Whitman Middle School.
During the 2022/23 academic year HSA’s Academy Hybrid Learning (AHL) is transitioning the Academy from remote instruction back to in-person sessions at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s campus to continue to serve our students. Since September 2021, our partner SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (SUNY DS) has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate; therefore, for HSA to resume its in-person programming for its components on-site at SUNY DS, our high school students – as of Fall 2022 all Academy students and Spring 2023 applicants for the 9th Grade Bridge (the Class of 2026 entering the Academy in Fall 2023) - must be fully
vaccinated to attend sessions at the SUNY DS campus.
Class of 2026 applicants (currently HS freshmen) to the 3-year Academy, please note that Part 1 of the application is due on Friday, Feb 3, 2023. The mandatory prerequisite, the 9th Grade Bridge program begins Saturday, March 4, 2023. Note that the 9 session 9th Grade Bridge program will be conducted with all sessions in-person at SUNY DS on Saturdays, 10:00am-12:30pm, so you must already be fully COVID-19 vaccinated to be eligible to enroll.
As of Fall 2023 all Academy classes will be in person on the SUNY DS campus.
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.”
