GVSU College of Health Professions

Physician Assistant Studies professor, Pat Smith, PA-C (pictured in the second image), said it best:

"This is the exciting part. This is the place where students get the spark of, 'Wait, I can do this. I have the capabilities to do this, and I have the capabilities to do this here in Traverse City.'"

In partnership with three high schools and one technical education center, GVSU - Traverse City hosted its second Healthcare Showcase featuring eight interactive, faculty-led rotations. Each rotation offered a glimpse of what it would be like to choose an available health-related program in Northern Michigan.

You can read more about this engaging event at the link in our first comment 🔗

Future PAs from our Grand Rapids and Traverse City programs scrubbed up and showed out last week at their combined lab! 🥼😷

Students participated in two high-impact clinical training sessions. The first was held in the Finkelstein ultrasound lab, where students developed critical bedside ultrasound skills.

The second session in the DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health focused on surgical scrubbing, gowning, and gloving, providing students with hands-on exposure to sterile techniques.

Beyond technical learning, combined labs like these foster a student community and collaborative practice skills that will serve them throughout their program and careers.

🏳️‍⚧️ Happy Pride Month CHP Lakers! 🏳️‍🌈

We appreciate all of our health professionals who make the world a more inclusive place through their language, practice, and advocacy.

To our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty, we see you and support you, and cannot wait to celebrate with you on campus and in the community.

Today, we pause to remember and honor those who lost their lives in service. Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

To our students, staff, and faculty in the health professions who have served, we see you and appreciate you. The Memorial Wall on the Valley Campus (pictured) serves as a reminder of the sacrifice and service of members of the Grand Valley community.

The Health Campus is closed today for this observance 🇺🇸

The beginning of the Summer Semester has us reflecting on the end of the Winter Semester and the exciting research presentations that happened on the Health Campus 🌞

Research is an important component of both undergraduate and graduate programs in the CHP. Students often have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty from their program to explore topics they are passionate about and present their findings to the broader campus community. Some even publish it 📝

Check out these photos from the Master of Public Health Showcase and Clinical Dietetics Research Day!

Congratulations to all of our Winter 2026 CHP graduates 🎓

The long hours studying, completing clinicals and internships, and learning in the classroom have finally paid off. You made it. We are so proud of you.

We cannot wait to see you caring for others in healthcare facilities, community settings, and beyond.

Anchor up forever 💙⚓️

📸 Kendra Stanley-Mills, Eliana McGlinchey, Cory Morse

GVSU’s Recreational Therapy Program is celebrating 50 years of impact 🎉

From its beginnings in 1975, generations of Lakers have gone on to make a meaningful difference through therapeutic recreation and leisure.

Alumni, faculty, and students came together to celebrate the program’s legacy and the future of recreational therapy at their recent event.

🔗 to the full story in comments

Two College of Health Professions students recently competed and placed in the Graduate School's 3-Minute Thesis Competition. Participants in this competition are given three minutes to share their research with the assistance of a single slide.

🏅Jaclyn Driesenga, Master of Public Health '26, placed first in the competition with her project, "Exploring Gaps in Medical Services for Individuals with Down Syndrome: Insights from a Clinical Director Survey."

🥈Rashmeer Mangat, Doctor of Physical Therapy '26, placed second in sharing her project titled “Exploring Diversity in Low-Fidelity Simulations.”

Congratulations to these outstanding students on their achievement!

Link in comments to learn more 🔗

Things are always moving on the Health Campus. Student-led events, like the Physical Therapy Career Fair, contribute to the energizing, collaborative atmosphere of the Medical Mile.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students didn't just attend a career fair; they built one. Class president Valerie Caylor and her fellow student leaders, Kelsey Hurt and Mikayla Reese, organized GVSU's first-ever student-led PT career fair, bringing 25 companies directly to campus and opening doors to opportunities students didn't even know existed.

As DPT alum Harold Gee put it: "It means a lot to give back. It is great to come back to a place that has given a lot to you."

Congratulations to the GVSU DPT Program for a successful event!

Link to the full story in bio🔗

This National Public Health Week, we're proud to highlight the work of Ashley Perryman, MPH '25.

During her internship at the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, Ashley developed patient rights and health literacy resources that grew into Be Empowered: a 4-week program now actively serving the community. The work became her master's project and ultimately led to a role at GRAAHI overseeing the program's development and implementation.

This May, Ashley begins a Physician Assistant program, carrying a holistic, community-centered approach into her clinical career.

Link to full story in the comments!