University of Kentucky students interested in a career in health care have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in their chosen field both inside the classroom and out when they become part of the UK’s Living Learning Program’s (LLP) Healthcare Residential College.

The Healthcare Residential College is not just a place to live with other health care students, but an experience designed specifically to encourage and foster community and interprofessionalism in health care along with blended opportunities to gain insight into all health related professions.

The LLP partners with the Office of Residence Life and the James W. Stuckert Career Center to help students define what they are looking for in a career and guide them as they make that decision.

“The Living Learning Program is about building relationships and networks where students are embedded in the health care community,” said Tony Grace, LLP Healthcare Residential College advisor and academic advisor at the UK College of Nursing. “Admission is offered to students who apply in their senior year of high school for their freshman year at the university. There are currently about 50 students and that number is expected to grow to 100-150 students in the next two to three years.”

The Healthcare Residential College, made up of nursing and health sciences students, currently is located in Holmes Hall, but the program will move to the new Haggin Hall in Fall 2014. Plans are underway to include students from the colleges of Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Agriculture, Communication and Information, and Social Work in Fall 2015.

Bryan Adams, a freshman human health sciences major, says his passion has always been physical therapy. He learned about the LLP when he was searching UK’s website for housing options in preparation for college life at UK.

“It’s amazing to meet other people on the same track and have the same interests as me,” Adams said. “The Healthcare Living Learning Program helps you learn about other health care tracks as well as the one you are interested in, which I would say is beneficial to everyone.”

Wayne Centers, student affairs advisor in the College of Health Sciences, says the LLP Healthcare Residential College focuses on interprofessionalism in health care and blended opportunities to get an insight into all health professions. Examples of program offerings have included:

Tea with Royalty: Drs. Eli and Mary Lou Capilouto were invited to speak about their respective careers in health care.

Dinner with the Deans: students had dinner with some of the deans of health care colleges who spoke about their career paths and experiences.

After Hours Program: academic advisors on hand to answer questions about academic requirements.

“The key is insider understanding of the health care professions,” Randa Remer. assistant dean of Student Affairs at the College of Health Sciences, said. “The Living Learning Program allows students insider information into professions that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Celebrating its 25th year on campus in fall 2014, the Living Learning Program at the University of Kentucky provides students with an environment to learn where they live and to live where they learn. The Division of Student Affairs Office of Residence Life, creators of the program, collaborated with academic and other student success partners to complement the classroom experience. Through Living Learning Communities and Residential Colleges, UK offers students an opportunity to live and learn together in an integrated academic residential environment.

This dynamic residential experience offers specialized programming, interactions with UK faculty and staff, and a supportive community that focuses on student success. The program has grown exponentially in recent years with 965 students participating in 13 programs this fall. Six more programs will be added in fall 2014, nine times more than in 2008. For more information, visit http://uknow.uky.edu/content/students-live-and-learn-uk.