Academic Health Sciences Center
East Tennessee State University’s Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC) unites five distinguished health sciences colleges — Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Public Health, and Health Sciences — under one shared mission: to improve the quality of life for the people of Appalachia and beyond.
What is an Academic Health Sciences Center (AHSC)?
An Academic Health Sciences Center combines education, clinical care, and research. Under an AHSC model, students train and work alongside their future colleagues from different disciplines from day one through the university’s Center for Interprofessional Collaboration.
The AHSC Advantage for Students
Real-World Readiness
Train in a fully functioning clinical environment with over 300 providers (including embedded specialists) and 50 clinic locations.
Team-Based Skills
Better understand your role in modern teams, and develop essential interprofessional communication skills through mutual respect and shared decision-making.
Impactful Research
Gain access to specialized centers focused on pressing regional and national health issues, such as rural health equity and addiction science.
Enhanced Job Competitiveness
Employers recognize graduates from AHSCs for their superior interprofessional experience and clinical exposure.
Our Academic Health Sciences Colleges
Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy
At Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, you’ll gain the skills and confidence needed to make an impact in your community as a pharmacist with nationally recognized training that blends science, clinical practice, and service. With a focus on rural and underserved communities, you’ll learn from expert faculty, gain hands-on experience, and join a close-knit community dedicated to improving lives through compassionate, innovative, and team-based pharmacy care.
Quillen College of Medicine
ETSU's Quillen College of Medicine is a nationally recognized leader in rural and primary care education. With small class sizes and dedicated faculty, Quillen offers a supportive, hands-on learning environment that prepares you to make a difference where it’s needed most. From patient care and biomedical research to community outreach, you’ll gain the skills and compassion to serve as a physician who improves lives across Appalachia and beyond.
College of Health Sciences
The ETSU College of Health Sciences offers a wide variety of academic programs across 15 distinct professions and multiple specialty clinics – blending classroom learning with real-world clinical experience in everything from audiology and social work to sport science and a first-of-its-kind-in-Tennessee orthotics and prosthetics program. Students learn to work collaboratively through interprofessional education and hands-on training, empowering them to improve health and well-being across our region and beyond.
College of Nursing
As one of the largest nursing colleges in the Southeast, the ETSU College of Nursing plays a vital role in improving the health of our region. Through innovative education, hands-on experience in nurse-managed clinics, and a focus on service and leadership, you’ll prepare to make a meaningful impact on individuals, families, and communities across Tennessee and beyond – providing students with the knowledge and confidence to lead compassionate, evidence-based care.
College of Public Health
The ETSU College of Public Health is one of only two schools in the nation to earn each of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s top awards for community service, innovation, and teaching. Home to a number of research centers focused on critical health issues, such as addiction, as well as innovative hands-on learning programs at ETSU/Eastman Valleybrook and Project EARTH, the college enables students to apply their knowledge in action on day one.
Interprofessional Opportunities at ETSU
ETSU is a recognized leader in Interprofessional Education (IPE). Through the Center for Interprofessional Collaboration, students from different health disciplines learn with, from, and about each other. At ETSU, the Center for Interprofessional Collaboration is committed to interprofessional education, practice, and research, ensuring students are prepared to succeed in modern teams that demand team-based approaches to care.
The AHSC structure at ETSU formally integrates IPE into the curriculum, giving students a competitive edge by mastering the essential skills of collaboration, communication, and shared decision-making before you even graduate.
Your Training Environment for Excelling in
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Our academic facilities are designed to mimic real-world hospital and clinical settings. This includes advanced simulation centers, virtual reality labs, and high-tech patient manikins, allowing you to practice complex clinical scenarios in a low-risk environment before treating real patients.
ETSU Health Clinics
With 50 clinical sites and more than 300 providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge care in dozens of specialties.
Powered by ETSU’s five health sciences colleges, ETSU Health connects education, research, and patient care — providing high-quality, compassionate service to communities across the region. Together, our providers, faculty, and students are shaping a healthier future for Appalachia and beyond.
Explore the clinics you'll work in
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ETSU Health Annual Report
ETSU Health is the annual report of ETSU’s five health sciences colleges, including Quillen College of Medicine, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, and the colleges of Nursing, Public Health, and Health Sciences.
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