Health-Related Student Organizations

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If you're a leader in a group you'd like us to feature, email Sachiko Datta with more information.

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Health-Related Campus Leadership Opportunities

HPA Peer Advisers and Jock Docs

HPA Peer Advisers (HPA PAs) are selected from among the residential college Peer Academic Advisers (PAAs) to provide advice and guidance to students interested in the health professions. Interested students should participate in PAA selection through their residential college and indicate their interest in becoming an HPA PA.

HPA Jock Docs are prehealth varsity athletes who provide advice and guidance to other athletes interested in the health professions. Interested students should contact an HPA adviser to learn more.

Peer Health Advisers (PHAs)

Peer Health Advisers (PHAs) are an on-campus group of students, who are supervised by University Health Services staff and:

serve as contacts for students seeking support,
provide referral to UHS and other wellness-related campus resources,
stimulate awareness of and decrease stigma around health issues by implementing health promotion programs,
work to reduce disparities in health and wellness outcomes, and
help students to navigate UHS' services.

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research (PCUR) are undergraduate researchers who correspond on all things related to the undergraduate research experience via the PCUR blog. They provide information on upcoming research-related events and write about opportunities that are available for undergraduates. Subscribe to the blog to learn more.

SHARE Peers

The Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources and Education (SHARE) office is a victim-centered, confidential resource on campus for the Princeton University community. SHARE peers provide crisis response, support, advocacy, information, and referral services to those who are dealing with incidents of sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, and relationship violence.

Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB)

The Student Health Advisory Board (SHAB) is committed to promoting health and wellness at Princeton. SHAB members serve as official liaisons between the student body and University Health Services (UHS) to ensure the quality of healthcare provided on campus and to help design a variety of health promotion projects.

Members are expected to use strong communication and teamwork skills to design and implement projects of their interest from start to finish. In addition to working closely with administration and healthcare providers, many SHAB members also serve on and look to engage other campus groups, such as the Healthier Princeton Advisory Board, the Undergraduate Student Government, and Peer Health Advisors. SHAB has weekly meetings, though individual project groups typically meet more frequently. New members are selected from freshmen, sophomores, and graduate students in the late fall through a competitive application and interview process.

ODUS recognized student organizations

These groups have been officially recognized by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students

American Physician Scientists Association (APSA): The American Physician Scientists Association (APSA) is the largest national organization specifically dedicated to helping physician scientists in their training. The Princeton Chapter of APSA was founded to become a hub for all Princeton students interested in becoming physician-scientists or pursuing MD/PhDs. We seek to improve opportunities for mentorship, community building, and support. Throughout the year, we invite physician-scientists and current MD/PhD students to speak on campus. We also send several students each year to the National APSA Conference in Chicago, where physician-scientists from across the nation speak about their research and own career paths.

Contact: Chirag Kumar '23
Black Pre-Medical Society: The Black Pre-Medical Society of Princeton University seeks to empower the Black pre-medical community to tackle the unique issues that face underrepresented students in medicine, cultivate long-lasting connections between Black pre-med students, address community health challenges affecting the Black community, and provide necessary support and resources tailored to the specific needs of Black students as they ascend to medical school. As a member of our society, one can look forward to professional networking opportunities, premed specific academic resources, a welcoming community of aspiring medical professionals, among other opportunities.

Contact: @blackpremedprinceton
Princeton Blood Drive Team: Blood donations are crucial to improving global and community health. The goal of the Princeton Blood Drive Team is to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood on campus and within the broader Princeton community. Within the context of this goal, we are especially committed to increasing diversity and equity among blood donors.

Blood drives are typically held twice a semester. To prepare for the drives, students advertise physically on campus as well as digitally through list-servs and social media. A key role of team members is talking to individual donors about the benefits of donating blood and assuaging their concerns. On the days of the drives, students may volunteer by helping to sign in donors and monitor them after donation, as well as partner with health organizations to inform donors of blood and blood-related causes in need of awareness.

Contact: Grace Chung '23, Daphne Hao '25

Sign up for their listserv
Princeton Body Positivity: Princeton Body Positivity is dedicated to creating conversations about body image, weight stigma, and eating disorders in the campus community. We host regular discussions within the club about these issues and plan advocacy projects to increase awareness about them across campus as a whole.

Club leader: Karena Yan '23

Contact: [email protected]
Envision: Envision's mission is to empower future global leaders to pursue the prudent advancement of social/scientific policy and technology. This entails understanding the potential risks and benefits of various technologies; we hope to take away from our events the ability to balance these risks and benefits, in order to guide technology in a positive direction, towards a brighter future.

We take a broad definition of “technology.” Past events have focused on diverse areas of tech such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, brain-computer interfaces, cryptocurrency, urban systems, climate geoengineering, and healthcare.

Many of our speakers pertain either directly or tangentially to healthcare. Bioethics, applications of synthetic biology to therapeutics, and diagnostic machine learning models to aid clinicians are some examples of healthcare-related topics we have explored.

President: Ethan Sample '24
Food Allergy and Celiac Team for University Advocacy and Living | FACTUAL: The Food Allergy and Celiac Team for University Advocacy and Living (FACTUAL) is an organization dedicated to supporting students at Princeton University who have food allergies, celiac disease, or other medical dietary restrictions. FACTUAL raises awareness of diverse dietary needs and advocates for safer, more inclusive food options on campus. Among other initiatives, we work alongside Campus Dining and the University’s Executive Dining Committee to develop improvements within Princeton’s dining halls and future construction plans.

Contact: [email protected]
FACTUAL Instagram
Friends of MSF at Princeton University (Doctors without Borders): Friends of MSF at Princeton University is the Princeton Student Chapter of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), an international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflicts, epidemics, natural or man-made disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
As a student-led society and Friend of MSF, we strive to educate both the immediate Princeton University community and the communities around us to raise awareness about the important medical and humanitarian work and wide-reaching effects of MSF.

President: Kasey Shao '25

Vice President: Sarah Lekaj '25

Contact: [email protected]
Princeton HOSA: Future Health Professionals: HOSA is an international career and technical student organization with 250,000+ active student members and 2.7 million+ alumni to-date. HOSA has been charged with the unique role of connecting students with the health industry pipeline to minimize long-term workforce shortages in health: healthcare, public health, health administration, health policy, sports medicine, emergency preparedness, healthcare innovation -- you name it. We offer students opportunities to engage with a robust international competitive events program, scholarships, internships, work-based learning opportunities, professional/leadership development, networking, etc. at the international stage -- all with a group of peers passionate about health, with industry who recognize they can't afford not to support the next generation, and with educators and state departments of instruction championing this work in their communities and schools.

President: Akash Kotian '24
Princeton for Health Literacy and Equity: Princeton for Health Literacy and Equity advocates for undocumented immigrant and refugee populations and raises awareness of key health issues in Princeton students.

Contact: Ava Eftekhari '24
Princeton Neuroscience Network: Founded in 2015, Princeton Neuroscience Network (PNN) is the University’s only student organization dedicated to fostering a community of individuals interested in neuroscience. As a group, we hope to create more opportunities for students across all levels, both on and off campus, in the interdisciplinary and fast-advancing field of neuroscience. Our initiatives are headed by three committees: Events, Research/Mentoring, and Outreach. Through guest speaker series, research panels, social events, and outreach programs for youth, we aim to connect, educate, and inspire individuals through the field.

Co-Presidents: Valeria Zuluaga-Sánchez '24, Victoria Graf '24

Vice President: Thussenthan Walter-Angelo '24
National Alzheimer's Buddies: National Alzheimer’s Buddies is an intergenerational movement responding to the profound isolation and social disengagement experienced by people in the intermediate-to-late stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Through partnering student volunteers with residents (buddies) at memory care facilities, we build meaningful, lasting relationships that break through the boundaries imposed by Alzheimer’s disease. Learn more on our Instagram @alzbuddies_princeton

Contact: Venezia Garza '25, Andrew Tran '23
Our Health Matters: As the Black female students of Princeton University, we have established Our Health Matters to supplement the political, cultural, and professional prosperity of the Black community by promoting the healthy lifestyles that are necessary to improving our wellness. We hope to create an inclusive and welcoming space that willfully works to recognize and destigmatize mental and professional health problems in the Black community. It is our goal to encourage both self-love and self-confidence within all our members, and ultimately spread this influence across campus culture.

President: Mikala Parnell '23

Contact: [email protected]
Princeton University Robotics Engineering: Princeton University Robotics Club is meant to help students pursue their curiosities in the field of robotics by giving them the support, opportunities, and materials that they need to build robots by jumping in headfirst!

Robot: a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.
Robotics: the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of robots.
The future: a world of robots and people working together to solve problems.

While the robotics club currently does not have an ongoing project related to biotech, we are looking for students who might be interested in starting and/or leading a new sub-team with a special focus on biomedical engineering. This team can work on anything you are curious about—from developing prosthetics to biometric monitors.

Contact: [email protected]
Princeton Public Health Review: The Princeton Public Health Review (PPHR) is a student-run publication designed to showcase the outstanding global health and medical research happening locally, nationally, and internationally, and to provide a forum for any health-related discussions.

Contact: Cecilia Kim '23
Women in Medicine: The Women in Medicine Club aims to foster a supportive, inclusive community for female-identifying pre-health students. With a focus on education, service, and connection, the organization hopes to facilitate opportunities for members to hear from inspiring women working in health-related fields, learn about different careers and specialties, receive resources related to the medical admission process, and connect with mentors and like-minded students.

Contact: Sophia Chen '24, Lucy Huelskamp '24

Pace Center Student Organizations

American Red Cross: American Red Cross coordinates and run blood drives throughout the year
Best Buddies: Best Buddies: provide social interaction with individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Camp Kesem: Camp Kesem: Camp Kesem is a national organization that works with children whose parents or guardians have been affected by cancer. We support local children through and beyond a parent or guardian’s cancer diagnosis by providing them with a free, fun-filled summer camp every summer, as well as by hosting events throughout the year.

Contact: Samuel Lee '24, Veronica Zhang '25 or [email protected]
Cards for Courage: Cards for Courage: create and send hand-made cards to patients and healthcare workers
CONTACT crisis and suicide prevention hotline: CONTACT Princeton: answer calls and texts on a local crisis and suicide prevention hotline.

Email contact: [email protected]
Creative Minds: Creative Minds: spend time one-on-one with a resident at Merwick Care and Rehabilitation Center in Plainsboro.
Hospice volunteer organizations: Ascend Hospice & Princeton Hospice: assist in hospice care by providing comfort and support to patients at local nursing homes.
Hospital volunteering: Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center: spend a weekly shift volunteering at the local hospital. Students apply as volunteers directly to the hospital and coordinate communication and transportation through the Pace Center student organization.
Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness: Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness: facilitate and assist with kidney health screenings and awareness events.
Meals on Wheels: Meals on Wheels: provide social interaction and meals for seniors in the area.
Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad (PFARS): Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad (PFARS) is an EMS agency that responds to 911 calls within the Princeton area. We act as the first point of care during medical emergencies and provide both life-saving care and emotional support to our patients. Princeton University students may serve as volunteer EMTs at PFARS.

Contact: [email protected]
Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice: Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice is a Planned Parenthood Generation Action Chapter at Princeton University. PSRJ is committed to protecting and ensuring the reproductive rights for and sexual health of students on campus, in the local community, and nationally. We are affiliated with the Pace Center, GSRC, and ODUS to accomplish such goals. Through initiatives such a STI testing campaign, abortion clinic volunteering, emergency contraceptive and condom distribution, menstrual equity campaign, and legislative activism, we attempt to uplight the reproductive wellbeing of the student body and beyond.

Contact: Allie Matthias '24, Emily Schoeman '23, Katie Kopp '23
TigerTAILS: TigerTAILS: volunteer at a local no-kill animal shelter

Inactive student organizations

Princeton student organizations rely on student initiative and leadership. We maintain this list to inspire current students to revive or build on ideas of past prehealth students.