Location:

Hawken’s Medical Sciences Semester (MSS) students benefit from unparalleled access to Cleveland’s world-renowned medical community. Partnerships with doctors and researchers at institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, the VA Medical Center, and Case Western Reserve University provide students with opportunities to learn from leading professionals, explore potential career paths, and apply their classroom learning to real-world medical challenges. This close connection to one of the nation’s top medical hubs provides a unique advantage for students interested in science, research, and healthcare. 

Academic Program:

MSS provides students interested in the medical profession with a balance of hands-on, real-world experience and the skills and content knowledge to support them on their journey to becoming medical professionals.

The core of MSS is the Macro course. Macro courses knock down traditional classroom walls, centering students’ learning on real, urgent challenges posed by expert community partners. After receiving the challenge, students work in small groups to develop an evidence-based solution, which they present to their partner at the end of the challenge cycle. Depending on the semester, medical science Macros might include Biomedical Science, Biomedical Engineering, Public Health, and Epidemiology.

Examples of recent Macro challenges:

Students in the Public Health Macro were challenged by Dr. Prakash Ganesh, medical director of Cuyahoga County Board of Health, to design and implement evidence-based strategies to identify and engage youth (ages 13-24) living with HIV who are currently out of care.

Students in the Biomedical Science Macro worked with Dr. Radhika Atit, professor of biology at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Atit studies cell migration and movement and asked students to help create visual representations to help communicate her research in publications and in the classroom.

In addition to their Macro course, students will take four core medical courses and will have two course blocks to ensure that they are able to keep pace with the course progression at their sending school.

• Clinical Problem Solving
• Internship or medical rotations
• Medical Ethics & History
• A medical-focused science course (choices may include Anatomy, Organic Chemistry, or Biology)
• Math Studio (sections will support students in Algebra 2 – Calculus)
• Language Studio, Humanities Studio, or free block
  • Studio courses provide students with the opportunity to work closely with a teacher in a self-paced study of a subject. For example, students in the Humanities Studio may be completing coursework for several different sending-school classes, all with the support of a humanities teacher.

In addition to their core courses, students will have biweekly advising sessions (including college counseling workshops), will participate in weekly public health service work, and will attend a biweekly seminar series with local medical leaders.

The final core piece of an MSS student’s schedule is their Intensive. Intensives are three-week-long courses at the end of each semester that allow students to immerse themselves in a single area of study all day, every day. Recent Medical Science Intensives include:

• Intensive Capstone
• Hawken MD: Disease and Diagnosis
• Bioethics: The Morality of Life & Death
• Biomedical Illustration
• Forensic Files
• Behavioral Biology: Primatology, Evolutionary Psychology, & Cultural Anthropology
• Biotech 101: Possibility through Pipetting
• Physician, Understand Thyself: Making Sense of Medicine & Society
• Understanding Decisions & Emotions: The Psychology & Psychobiology of Behavior

Residential Life

Our goal is to find the perfect balance between a traditional boarding experience and a smaller home-stay opportunity while fostering a tight-knit and supportive community. Students live together in the Residence Hall, a century-old mansion that has been converted into charming spaces that feel like home. The Residence Hall is gender divided, and each side has its own kitchens, living rooms, and study spaces. Additionally, students share an exercise space and laundry facilities. The director of Residential Life lives in an attached apartment and is supported by a team of faculty members.

The Residence Hall is not only steps away from our classrooms and Cleveland’s world-class medical district, but also a short walk from Cleveland’s incredible museum district, an arts and culture hub.