School of Health Professions
DEAN: Stacy Jaffee Gropack
OFFICE: Health Sciences Tower, Level 2, Room 400
PHONE: (631) 444-2252
WEB: https://healthprofessions.stonybrookmedicine.edu/
- About the School
About the School
American demographics, economics and technological advances in diagnostics, treatment and therapy have combined to create an environment where patients are diagnosed earlier, are more likely to survive disease or trauma, live longer, participate in ambulatory-based treatment, and asked to take a more participatory role in their own health care.
As advances in science and information technology collide with a new consumerism and cry for reform of systematic health care processes, educators find themselves in the midst of transition as we move from one health care model to another. Whatever the new health care model evolves into, you can be assured that the School of Health Professions will provide its graduates with the necessary skills to practice their profession.
The school offers baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in both clinical and non-clinical areas that include applied health informatics, athletic training, clinical laboratory sciences, health science, medical molecular biology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, respiratory care, and speech language pathology. These programs are full-time entry-level except for the health science program and the graduate program in medical molecular biology which is for health care professionals. Students in the professional programs pursue core and basic science curricula, as well as the professional courses required for competence in their specific profession.
The School of Health Professions offers non-credit certificate programs in anesthesia technology, EMT-paramedic, medical dosimetry, phlebotomy, radiation therapy, and radiologic technology.
- Goals & Objectives
Goals and Objectives
The School of Health Professions provides the highest quality education and leads the nation in creating quality health care programs that complement the country's current and emerging health challenges. Our educational mission supports an interprofessional learning environment. that fosters research, scholarly activity, critical thinking, evidence-based practice, leadership, and professionalism, while affirming the importance of ethical behavior, human diversity, service, and a team approach to health care.
Mission
The mission of the School of Health Professions is to provide the highest quality education in an inter-professional learning environment that fosters educational and translational research, scholarly activity, critical thinking, evidence-based practice, leadership, and professionalism, while affirming the importance of ethical behavior, human diversity, equity and inclusion, cutting-edge technology, and a team approach to health care.
To achieve this, the School endeavors to:
- Promote patient health and well-being by teaching the knowledge, behavior, and skills needed to ensure excellence in practice;
- Expand knowledge through research, scholarship and creative activity;
- Facilitate innovative and responsible methods of managing and delivering high quality, cost-effective, accessible health care;
- Respond to current and emerging public health challenges both locally and globally;
- Cultivate partnerships among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community;
Vision
The School of Health Professions strives to be the preferred choice for tomorrow's interprofessional healthcare workforce, preparing the next generation of high-quality clinicians, while supporting clinical translational and educational research, and innovative, inclusive teaching that anticipates and responds to the needs of our diverse community, our region, and beyond.
- Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
Professional Program Admission
Candidates for admission to full-time upper-division study in clinical laboratory sciences and respiratory care must have a minimum cumulative average of 2.5 and 60 semester hours of credit. In addition, all entry-level clinical programs require the completion of three credits in English composition (equivalent to WRT 102), six credits in social and behavioral sciences, three credits in arts, three credits in humanities, and six to eight credits in natural science. (Refer to “Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree” at the beginning of this Bulletin for specific areas of study to satisfy these requirements.) Candidates for admission to the graduate programs require a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and completion of a baccalaureate degree prior to admission. Transfer credit is given for course work completed with grades of C or higher.
Students seeking admission to the applied health informatics, athletic training, clinical laboratory sciences, physical therapy, physician assistant, respiratory care, and speech language pathology in the school, either from Stony Brook or from other institutions, must be specifically accepted to the school and to the program they have selected.
Stony Brook students may declare a major in Health Science, which leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. Health Science majors will spend three years on west campus taking liberal arts, science, and health-related courses and will fulfill all Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) requirements. The senior year will be spent enrolled in classes in the Health Sciences. Stony Brook freshman may also declare a major in clinical laboratory sciences or respiratory care.
The individual programs have additional requirements. Please check the admission requirements for entrance to the specific program to which admission is sought. Refer to “Health Sciences Admissions” at the beginning of this Bulletin for application information. Technical standards for professional programs are available upon request.
Selection Factors and Procedures
Programs within the school base selection of students on several factors. Experience in the particular field or in the health care system, evidence of ability to succeed academically and demonstrated concern for human beings are considered as primary selection factors. These factors are judged by letters of recommendation, personal interviews, and transcripts, and by personal statements from the applicants.
Admission to the school is determined by the school’s Admissions Committee, which is composed of a representative from each department. The Admissions Committee of each program reviews the candidate's transcripts, records, and application forms, conducts interviews, and makes recommendations to the school’s Admissions Committee. Offers of admission are made in order of merit. Although applicants may meet minimum admission requirements, they might not be offered an interview or admission since places are limited by available space.
Academic Renewal Policy for Re-admitted Students*
If a student leaves a program by withdrawal, dismissal, or discontinuance, and wishes to return, they must re-apply to the degree program (see program specific admission policies). Re-admitted students may request an academic renewal (see Academic Renewal Policy in the Academic
Regulations and Procedures section of this bulletin). Although, the student’s cumulative grade point average and cumulative credit total will be calculated based on course grades earned as of the date of academic renewal, an internal transfer of successfully earned, degree applicable, credits may also
be requested. Internal transfers will be considered for courses that were not used for prior awarded degrees or requirements. All requests must be approved by both the student’s department chair/program director and by the Dean before being processed by the Registrar.*Applicable to graduate students only.
Recommended Freshman and Sophomore Curricula
The general policy of the school is to avoid, to the greatest extent possible, specific prerequisite course requirements. The purpose of this policy is to permit flexibility in evaluating the records of candidates for admission. Emphasis is placed upon the extent to which the student is prepared through training and experience to pursue the program.
It is recommended that students interested in a career in the health professions choose a sufficient number of courses in the physical and natural sciences to develop a broad understanding of these fields of study. At least one course in English composition, as well as a spectrum of courses in the humanities and social and behavioral sciences, is required.
In the case of a few programs, rigid accreditation criteria for the school to specify special prerequisite course work. Prospective students should consult the information given in subsequent sections of the Bulletin relating to the particular program in which they are interested for special recommendations or prerequisite requirements. These are listed as “Admission Requirements” under the heading for the specific program.
Faculty members of the school are available to serve as advisers to freshmen, sophomores, and any other undergraduates who aspire to programs in the school. Consult the assistant dean for academic and student affairs for assistance in acquiring a faculty adviser. Undergraduate students interested in applying to an upper-division program are encouraged to seek faculty advisement early.
- Policies
Policies
Physical Examination and History
Documentation of satisfactory health status, prior to beginning classes, is required. Documentation must include a health history and physical examination report completed by a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.), registered physician assistant or registered nurse practitioner, not earlier than six months prior to entry into the school; a report of chest x-ray or PPD Mantoux test for tuberculosis; and a report of measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, and varicella antibody titer completed within the same period. A note certifying completion of the examination is not acceptable; a full examination report is required. This documentation is submitted to the student health service as part of the student’s health record. The school requires an updated health assessment at the beginning of each year. Additional requirements are specified in the “Physical Examination Policy” section of this Bulletin.
Education-Related Expenses
These include costs of transportation to clinical facilities, books, and other instructional materials, equipment, supplies, and additional compliance related clinical or field expenses. Please see school and program handbooks for additional information.
Students admitted to the school are required to purchase liability insurance prior to participation in clinical assignments. (Costs vary by program.) Clinical sites also require students to have proof of health insurance before beginning clinical rotations. It is the individual student’s responsibility to arrange appropriate coverage.
Academic Standing
The School of Health Professions recognizes the necessity for knowledge, as well as superior behavioral, ethical and clinical standards. Students are evaluated on knowledge, professional competence and skill, adherence to professional codes of ethics, sensitivity to patient needs, ability to work with and relate to peers and other members of the health care team, attitude, attendance, punctuality, and professional appearance. These standards foster the health care team concept and have been established to protect the rights of the patients and communities served by the students of Health Sciences Center. Failure to demonstrate these important qualities will be reflected in a student’s grade.
Undergraduate students must maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0 and a 2.5 minimum average in required professional courses to remain in good standing. Any student who earns a grade point average below 2.0 overall or 2.5 in professional courses will be placed on probation for the following period and terminated if his/her average does not attain those levels at the end of the probationary period. Graduate students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 to remain in good standing. Normally, a student on probation will not be permitted to participate in the required periods of full-time clinical practice. Specific programs may have additional academic criteria or requirements. Refer to the School of Health Professions Academic Policies and Procedures and individual programs for details.
Grading Policy
The School of Health Professions follows the grading policies stated in the front of this Bulletin with the exceptions that 1) the P/NC, R, and S/U grades are not used; 2) S/F may be used in specifically designated courses where finer grading distinctions are impractical; and 3) D grades may be given to graduate students in graduate level courses for which the credit is counted in determining the grade point average, but no credit is granted toward the Master of Science or Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees.
Dean’s List
A Dean’s List of superior undergraduate students is compiled at the end of the fourth and eighth modules of each academic year. To be eligible for the Health Professions Dean’s List, students must be matriculated full time in a baccalaureate program of the school and have a minimal grade point average of 3.60 (seniors) or 3.45 (juniors).
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty shall be defined as misrepresentation of authorship or in any fashion falsifying part or all of any work submitted or intended to be submitted for academic credit. Such misrepresentation or falsification includes, but is not limited to, the use of supportive documentation, mechanical aids, or mutual cooperation not authorized by the faculty.
The principles of academic dishonesty also apply to those courses taken during the clinical or internship phases of any program which are taken for credit or otherwise required for completion of a program. Due to the critical nature of such requirements and student responsibility for the welfare of patients and institutions providing medical care, academic dishonesty is further defined to include the falsification of patient or institutional records, knowingly violating accepted codes of professional ethics or knowingly engaging in activities that might endanger the health or welfare of patients or resident institutions.
The penalty for any substantiated act of academic dishonesty shall be expulsion from the school, unless the dean and the chair of the department in which the accused is a student concur with a Committee on Academic Standing recommendation for a modified penalty.
Appeals
Students may appeal probation or dismissal by requesting reconsideration of this decision by the dean. All other academic regulations in effect at Stony Brook University and in the Health Sciences Center ordinarily apply to students of this school. Consult the “Academic Regulations and Procedures” at the beginning of this Bulletin for further information.
Courses
Courses offered by the school are intended for Health Professions students only. However, some are open on a limited basis, with permission of the instructor, to other students. Priority is given to Health Sciences students.
- Academic Calendar
Academic Calendar
The School of Health Professions is one of the few schools within the University that is faced with the need to meet concurrent academic and professional requirements. These mandates, joined with the geographic challenges incurred in obtaining suitable clinical experience in the Long Island area, make it impossible to adhere to the usual academic calendar. In order to meet these professional needs, a special academic calendar has been developed. This calendar provides for modules of five weeks in length; courses consist of one, two, three, or more modules as determined by the academic faculty. (See the “Academic Calendar” section of this Bulletin and related publications.)
- Financial Aid
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid, part-time employment, etc., is available in limited amounts. Students may qualify for some of the general support programs administered by the Office of Financial Aid. (See the “Financial Assistance” section of this Bulletin.)
- Clinical Resources
CLINICAL RESOURCES
In addition to clinical placement opportunities at Stony Brook’s world-class hospital facilities, including Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, the School of Health Professions affiliates with many other institutions and agencies to place students in clinical rotations. Each program director, in consultation with the dean, negotiates affiliation arrangements for the use of those clinical facilities that will provide the best possible range and quality of instruction for students. Therefore, not all programs necessarily send students to any one hospital or clinical site. Each program director can provide, upon request, information about current arrangements for clinical instruction for his/her student group. Each student is personally responsible for arranging transportation to and from clinical assignments.
- Graduation & Degree Requirements
Graduation and Degree Requirements
Undergraduate Degree (Baccalaureate)
Candidates must have earned a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit (including credit granted for proficiency examinations, etc.), with a grade point average of 2.0 during the junior and senior years of study. (Refer to “Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree” in this Bulletin for a complete description.)
All candidates for graduation must complete the general degree requirements, school and core curricula, and specific program requirements.
Graduate Degrees (Masters or Doctorate)
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. The minimum passing grade for each graduate course is a C, unless otherwise noted. See program descriptions for special academic requirements.
- Courses
Courses
Courses offered by the school are intended for Health Professions students only. However, some are open on a limited basis, with permission of the instructor, to other students. Priority is given to Health Sciences students.
- Centers
Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development
The Center for Community Engagement and Leadership Development (CEE) in the School of Health Professions is a multidisciplinary effort that applies the leadership and social change expertise of Stony Brook University faculty and students for the purpose of bridging the gaps in healthcare and social resource disparities that have persisted in many of Long Island’s underserved communities. Through such service to the community, the Center also enriches the academic experience for faculty and students.
The mission of the Center is to develop partnerships between community members and the Stony Brook University faculty to address areas of social disparity. The CCE uses a social justice framework and leadership development strategies to help isolate, research, provide services for, and initiate advocacy measures to change challenges experienced by communities across Long Island and beyond. Specifically, we will focus on the following key areas:
- Health and health care disparities, including disproportionate burden of disease and access
- Education and achievement disparities
- Advocacy and leadership development
The Center’s vision is the development of a greater Long Island community that is free from disparity and injustice.
The focus of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) is to enhance the academic experience of future leaders in community health disciplines and collaborate with local community members to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world. CCE also creates the opportunity for partnerships between Stony Brook University faculty with national and/or international communities and scholars to further enhance the mission of the Center. The goals of the CCE are as follows:
- Strengthen Stony Brook University’s relationship with local communities
- Enhance research and service opportunities for students and faculty
- Assist communities in becoming agents of social change
Website:https://cce.stonybrook.edu/
The Center for Public Health Education
The Center for Public Health Education’s (CPHE) mission is to provide relevant and critical information that will: support health and human service professionals caring for people living with HIV/AIDS; promote quality care and target resources needed to meet the needs of underserved communities; promote HIV prevention education and harm reduction; influence public policy and facilitate research relevant to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
- CPHE is a Regional Partner of the Northeast/Caribbean AIDS Education & Training Center Program, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This grant’s mission is to provide training opportunities and clinical consultations to health care clinicians working with people living with HIV in Nassau, Suffolk, and Queens counties.
- CPHE as a designated HIV/STI/Viral Hepatitis Regional Training Center (RTC) for Long Island and New York City, funded by the New York State Department of Health HIV Education and Training Programs within the AIDS Institute’s Office of the Medical Director. Non-physician health and human services providers require ongoing training to provide effective prevention, screening, care and support services for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hepatitis C (HCV) and to support LGBTQ+ health, and drug user health.
- The Center also serves as the Academic Center for the New York State Peer Worker Certification Program in HIV, HCV, Harm Reduction and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). More than 250 people living with HIV, Hepatitis C or those who have accessed Harm Reduction services have become certified peer workers since the program’s inception in 2016. Our team administers required core training classes, helps peers navigate the application process, leads quarterly Peer Worker Review Board meetings, and helps coordinate the program’s annual graduation ceremony.
For further information contact:
The Center for Public Health Education,
School of Health Professions,
RRAMP Lab,
Research and Development Park
Research and Support Services-Development Drive - Building 17 -Suite 120
Stony Brook University,
Stony Brook, New York 11794-6012
(631) 444-3209