Health Sciences Scholars Program (HSSP): The Beginning
HSSP began as a collaborative effort between the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA), University Housing, and the University of Michigan Health System, devoted to introducing students to the wide range of academic and career opportunities in the health sciences.
The Evolution of HSSP
In March 1998, the Committee to Review Undergraduate Premedical Education was convened to study how best to educate and advise undergraduates interested in a career in medicine. A major highlight was the recommendation to broaden the scope to undergraduate students who are interested in a career in one of the health science disciplines, not only medicine.
In 2001, HSSP welcomed the first class of “HSSPers”. This cohort of students, representing LSA, Engineering, Nursing and Kinesiology, were interested in the health sciences and wanted to live and learn with others who shared similar interests and aspirations. By combining the personal attention of a small college environment with the resources of a large research university, HSSP was destined to introduce students to the University of Michigan’s amazing resources in the health sciences, and provide opportunities to observe and interact with health practitioners, examine the impacts of culture on health and health care, and encourage students to reflect on the concept of health in their own life.
In summer 2012, HSSP was relocated to James Couzens Hall to serve as the cornerstone of a residential community broadly dedicated to health and wellness. This emphasis on health and wellness will benefit from Couzens’ history as the former residential hall for the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing. HSSP is now home to about 160 program students, with approximately 120 of them first-year members.