School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Merrimack College

03/13/2023

Madeline Cushing is a Graduate student at Merrimack College. She is currently pursuing her MS in Exercise and Sport Science with a concentration in Exercise Science. After she graduates from Merrimack, she will head to the University of Vermont for her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.
Madeline is most likely interested in joining the field of adult rehabilitation, whether it be inpatient or out. While she has enjoyed her time, “working within the realm of adaptive sports” she currently feels that adult rehabilitation is the best spot for her.
When asked how her experience at Merrimack has helped her in accomplishing her goals, Madeline said, “I have gained so much experience working within the field of adaptive sports with a variety of rehab professionals through my fellowship with Spaulding Adaptive Sports (SASC) at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Merrimack provided me with this experience, along with valuable coursework that has helped further my knowledge of exercise and human care. This experience with SASC has set me apart in my interviews for OT school, and it has helped me build foundational skills necessary to perform as an Occupational Therapist, such as flexibility, problem-solving, confidence, adaptability, and creativity”.
We are very proud of Madeline as she continues to thrive here at Merrimack. We are happy to root for her success this semester and beyond as she pursues her Doctorate!

02/22/2023

Careers in Athletic Training: Student & Alumni Panel

Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Merrimack College
Crowe Hall Executive Room
315 Turnpike St
N Andover, MA 01845
United States

Are you interested in a career in Athletic Training? If so, join us for an in-person panel discussion to hear from Merrimack graduate students and alumni who are professionals in the field. They will share their first-hand experiences of what it’s like to be an AT – and what it takes to become one – as they discuss topics such as:
The responsibilities and day-to-day life of an Athletic Trainer.
AT career paths and possibilities.
The role and expectations of graduate school.
Finding a job and transitioning to professional practice.
Advice for those looking to enter the AT field.

Representatives from our Master of Science in Athletic Training program will also be on hand to discuss how Merrimack can help prepare you for a career in Athletic Training!

The panel will be followed by a Meet & Greet, where you can mingle with panel members to discuss the profession more in-depth. Light refreshments will be served.

https://merrimack.me/3XY4PL8

02/01/2023

01/31/2023

Virtual Information Session: Pathways to Meeting the Master's Requirement for the CDR Exam -Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from 6:00 PM until 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

If you're considering becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist, we invite you to join us for a virtual information session to learn about the different pathways to sit for the RD exam!

During this event, you will hear from Elizabeth Natale, MS, RD, LDN, Graduate Program Director for the M.S. in Nutrition and Human Performance. She will explain the different types of master’s programs that will help qualify you for the CRD exam, as well as how Merrimack's graduate programs can prepare you for a successful career in the growing job market for dietitians and nutritionists. Any questions you may have about choosing the best pathway to becoming a registered nutritionist will be answered! To register for this event:
use this link: https://merrimack.me/3HzwLAa

01/31/2023

Following her graduation from Merrimack in 2022, Hannah Keller has gone on to become the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats. In this role, she is currently working with the Woman’s Swim and Dive, Basketball, and Volleyball teams and Sprinters and Jumpers for the school.
When asked how her experience at Merrimack helped to shape her as a health science professional, she said, “The experience I had at Merrimack helped me develop my coaching skills and knowledge of strength and conditioning. It also pushed me to think deeper about the needs that different sports and athletes would benefit from to perform at their best in their sport”. She then continued to say, “Some classes that I benefited the most from would be Coach Kamal's mock labs, they were a great learning experience along with the feedback that we were able to receive from him and our classmates really pushed me to think deeper about everything I program. As well as Doctor Corcoran’s sports nutrition class. This class pushed you to learn and think about the needs of many athletes”.
She recalled her most helpful experience of all to be, “the opportunity to complete the graduate fellowship”. I was able to work with many different teams and athletes at Saint Anselm, as well as have the opportunity to write programs and coach on my own. In the end, she wanted to say, “I am thankful for my time and experiences at Merrimack, and all the amazing people I was able to meet along the way!”
We wish Hannah the best of luck in the future, and hope that she continues to shine in her post-Merrimack endeavors!

01/30/2023

After graduating from Merrimack, Arnold has gone on to become an Exercise Specialist at Harvard Business School. In this position, Arnold works with both MBA students and Executive Education. He was able to receive this great employment opportunity thanks to his hard work at Merrimack.
When asked how his experience at Merrimack helped shape him as a Health Science professional, Arnold had a lot to say. “First, the quantity and quality of GA positions and locations were tremendously helpful in applying what we learned in the class into practice. Second is the ability to develop a leadership role with more responsibility and learn how to fail and become better. Learning that leadership comes in different styles and finding what makes you a leader. Third, working on personal development skills that transfer outside of the classroom, leadership abilities, critical thinking, how to read and develop research papers.”
Of all that he did while at Merrimack, he found that, “The Capstone project creating the E-Portfolio helped him re-align his goals and helped him to sit down and think about what he truly wanted to do.” This project also helped him through the steps he needed to get where he wanted to be. Lastly, Arnold mentioned, “Coach Kamal and his inquisitive nature is something he tries to emulate in my practice today.”

01/11/2023

The Health Sciences Graduate Fellowship at Merrimack College offers 50-100% in funding. Madeline Cushing and Ashley Hall share their fellowship experience.

12/21/2022

"Profellow.com" recently highlighted the outstanding work of Merrimack alumna Ashley Hall '19 and current student Madeline Cushing '23 during their Health Science Graduate Fellowships. In their fellowships, both gained the opportunity to work in distinguished healthcare facilities while participating in cutting-edge research related to health and wellness.
Health Sciences Graduate Fellows Ashley Hall ‘19 and Madeline Cushing ‘23 were recently profiled by ProFellow.com! Ashley earned her M.S. in Health and Wellness Management and is currently the Center Director of the Merrimack Valley Area Health Education Center at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. Madeline is a current student in Merrimack's M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science, serving as a fellow at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in their world-renowned Adaptive Sports Program (SASC). Read the profile for details of their fellowship experiences, or learn more about Merrimack's health sciences graduate fellowships at https://merrimack.me/3YHynyo. Don't forget the priority application deadline for 2023-24 fellowships is January 5! "

12/05/2022

"Grad Holiday Party" We have a fun party planned with raffles like air pods and speakers, a photo booth, cookie decorating, and free drinks and food. Please consider coming and bringing your fellows. RSVP here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSX2IpjUYza9JaiwaJS_YfC6fnhRmCLl6PsAaLslGg51SZYA/viewform

11/30/2022

Merrimack College offers 5 Graduate Programs in our School of Nursing and Health Sciences: Exercise and Sport Science, Nutrition and Human Performance, Athletic Training, Health and Wellness Management, and Community Health Education. We have several 9-month accelerated MS programs with some offered completely ONLINE! Join us on December 12 at 5:30 pm to learn more about our programs and graduate fellowship opportunities! To register please use the following link: https://gps.merrimack.edu/register/grad-info-session-12-12-22?utm_source=event-calendar&utm_medium=web

05/16/2022

Depression is a disabling mental illness that affects roughly 264 million people each year, and is under-recognized and seldom treated in Black men. New research published from health science faculty member, Dr. SantaBarbara, suggests that resistance training (i.e., weight lifting) may be an efficacious treatment tool for Black men experiencing depressive symptoms.

✨To read the full article click the link in our bio!✨

To contact Dr. SantaBarbara about this research and to get involved in future projects, email him at [email protected].