State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University is an academic medical center located at 450 Clarkson Avenue in Brooklyn's Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood. SUNY Downstate offers medical education from the undergraduate to doctoral level, patient care, and clinical research trials. It employs 4,000 New Yorkers and has 1,846 students and 995 medical residents. The university is part of the State University of New York system, the United States' most extensive comprehensive public university system.
SUNY Downstate began in 1856 as a dispensary—a provider of medical services to the poor—founded by German immigrant doctors. In the tradition of their native land, they soon established a hospital-affiliated medical school, the first of its kind in the U.S. and the first medical college in Brooklyn. The institution was renamed Long Island College Hospital and chartered by the state in 1858. Classes officially commenced in March of 1860, and the original location was on Henry Street between Amity and Pacific in Brooklyn's Cobble Hill neighborhood. The institution pioneered many advances in both medicine and medical education in the United States, including daily quizzes, post-mortem examinations, infectious disease control measures, clinical use of diphtheria antitoxin, and the development of the MRI. The college administratively separated from the hospital in 1930, and in 1950 it joined the State University of New York system.
Today, SUNY Downstate is organized into five units: College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Graduate Studies, School of Health Professions, and School of Public Health. It offers Bachelors of Science in Nursing and Diagnostic Medical Imaging, as well as a B.S./D.P.T. in Physical Therapy. All other programs are at the certificate, master's, or doctoral level and include an M.S. or Advanced Certificate in Midwifery. Programs emphasize practical work experience at affiliated hospitals and clinical sites. It also operates an urgent care center at 9036 7th Ave in Bay Ridge.
More doctors in New York City have trained at SUNY Downstate than any other institution. The school serves 1,900 students annually and is among the nation's most-diverse medical colleges. Over 20% of medical students are from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field, and 70% of the College of Nursing students are from minority groups. It offers diverse student groups, from chess and soccer clubs to ethics organizations to groups based on religious or ethnic identity.
Tuition at SUNY Downstate varies based on the program of study. New York State residents pursuing their Bachelors of Science pay $3,535 per semester for full-time study, while medical residents pay in-state tuition of $21,835 per semester. Masters-level tuition for in-state students is $5,655 per semester.
SUNY Downstate currently has over 1,800 students enrolled and 995 residents. According to the university, 57% of all students are minorities, 39% are Brooklyn residents, 68.6% are New York City residents, and 72% receive financial aid.
With over 200 years of history, thousands have graduated from SUNY Downstate. Notable alumni of Downstate include Ali S. Khan, former Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response at the CDC, and Ralph Snyderman, chancellor emeritus at Duke University.
SUNY Downstate operates two academic buildings, multiple hospital buildings, and several residence halls for students and staff nurses alike. The Basics Science Building (BSB) at 450 Clarkson Avenue houses the College of Medicine and other school administration departments, and the School of Public Health. Health Science Education Building (E.B.) is located at 395 Lenox Road. There's also a Biotech Incubator at 760 Parkside Avenue.
Downstate currently has two residence halls, 811 and 825 New York Avenue. Students can choose to live in the on-campus residence halls, which offer standard rooms, double-occupancy studio apartments, and double-occupancy two-bedroom suites with in-room bathrooms and kitchenettes. All utilities are included in the cost of housing, which is calculated at a daily rather than monthly rate because each college program has different start and end dates.
Given the campus location, students attending SUNY Downstate who choose to live off-campus often stay in Brooklyn. Popular neighborhoods include Flatbush, Crown Heights, Clinton Hill, and Kensington. If being close to the subway is one of your top priorities, check out RentHop's subway rent map and see which subway stops along the 2 and 5 trains are the cheapest to rent.
SUNY Downstate alumni are spread across all five boroughs, with Brooklyn being one of the more popular options. If you're graduating soon and are looking for housing, consider neighborhoods in Northern and Northwest Brooklyn, such as Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Brooklyn Heights.
For people first moving into New York City, check out the RentHop Renters Guide. The guide explains everything you need to know about renting in the Big Apple, from finding your ideal apartment to signing the lease and completing the rental process.
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