Meet the Health Sciences Students’ Association
Kalyna Hennig Epp - 24 September 2025
Around 80 per cent of adverse events for patients in U.S. hospitals, like wrong treatments, procedure delays, medication errors and falls, are a result of inadequate communication in the transition of care between providers.¹ Similar statistics apply in Canada. When Farah Elgaweesh, ¶®É«µÛ nursing student and co-president of the Health Sciences Students’ Association, learned this in one of her interdisciplinary health courses, she heard a call to action.
“It highlights a fundamental problem,” Elgaweesh says. “We need to stop training health professionals in separate, discipline-specific silos.”
So she asked an important question. “What if we could start building those bridges long before students ever enter a hospital?”
That's the driving purpose behind the . Founded as an interdisciplinary student association in 2010, the HSSA is dedicated to fostering connections, understanding and collaboration among students across the U of A’s College of Health Sciences (CHS) with an emphasis on student-driven learning and patient-centred care.
The U of A is on the same page. It created CHS in 2021 to bring together the combined strength of all the health sciences faculties and schools at the U of A, enabling a new level of interdisciplinary health science research and teaching that advances the full spectrum of human health and wellness. The college and HSSA include the faculties of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science; kinesiology, sport, and recreation; medicine and dentistry; nursing; public health; and rehabilitation medicine.
The HSSA hosts social and academic events designed to promote teamwork and mutual understanding. A recently revived event, the annual Lock & Key social, brought students together for a fun, relaxed evening, helping them build relationships that could last a lifetime. The association plans to introduce new wellness initiatives this year, including group yoga classes and a basketball tournament, to help students care for their mental health.
Beyond social events, the HSSA is actively working to shape the future of interprofessional education at the university. They are collaborating with CHS leadership to share student perspectives and help shape curricula. This advocacy role is a key part of their mission.
"We are eager to explore new opportunities with the college and expand our involvement," says Elgaweesh.
Farah Elgaweesh, HSSA co-president
"We are eager to explore new opportunities with the college and expand our involvement,"
— Farah Elgaweesh
The association’s management includes an interdisciplinary general council — which consists of an elected student representative from each faculty, playing a critical role in communicating students' concerns and helping plan tailored interdisciplinary events — and an executive team, which leads its events, advocacy campaigns and other initiatives.
Isabella Baan, pharmacy student and HSSA co-president, emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary connections.
"Working together in interprofessional teams enhances your educational experience and lays the foundation for delivering the highest quality patient care by integrating the unique strengths of each profession," she says.
Isabella Baan, HSSA co-president
"Working together in interprofessional teams enhances your educational experience and lays the foundation for delivering the highest quality patient care by integrating the unique strengths of each profession"
— Isabella Baan
Baan’s own interest was sparked by an interdisciplinary course in her first year, showing how crucial early exposure can be. The HSSA is working to provide those same opportunities for all students, with plans for more events and speaker series to enhance interdisciplinary student learning.
“A core value of our association emphasizes how we can enhance health-care safety for patients and their families by fostering teamwork at earlier stages,” says Elgaweesh.
Get connected
The HSSA offers an excellent opportunity to start building professional relationships and contribute to a more integrated, patient-centred health-care system. If you are a CHS student, you are already a member! or email hssa@ualberta.ca to stay updated on upcoming events and initiatives.