• FSU SSTRIDE through the years

 

Since 1994, the SSTRIDE Medical Pathway Program has been inspiring future healthcare and STEM leaders through the outreach efforts of the Florida State University College of Medicine. 

Our mission has always been clear—to identify students with a genuine passion for medicine, health, engineering, and mathematics, and to give those students the support services to develop a sense of responsibility, focus, and motivation necessary for success in their chosen fields.

Over the past 30+ years, SSTRIDE has guided more than 4,000 students from middle school through medical school. Today, our alumni are thriving in medicine, nursing, healthcare, research, public health, and other STEM fields across Florida and beyond. Their success continues to reflect the strength of our “middle school to medical school” model and the power of investing in future leaders.

PROGRAM HISTORY AND TIMELINE

Timeline from 1970-1994, image shows a female teacher standing over two female high school students sitting in desks guiding them in a workshop in class, the students and the teacher are smiling.
 

1970

Florida State University founded the Program in Medical Sciences (PIMS) 
 

1993

Thesla Berne-Anderson, Outreach Coordinator, hired by Dr. Myra Hurt, PIMs Director, to develop an educational pipeline program
 

1994

SSTRIDE Pre-College Program launched
 
SSTRIDE Leon County program begins
Timeline from 1996-2000, image shows a male and female student sitting at a table looking at a textbook together as if they are studying together for a test.

 

 

1996

PIMS Director of Admissions, Dr. Helen Livingston, hired
 
First SSTRIDE In-School Mentor-Dr. Kendall Campbell and Dr. Tirrell Johnson
 

1997

SSTRIDE After-school Tutoring Program & Computer Lab implemented at FSU’s Montgomery Gym (Former PIMS location)
 

2000

Florida State University College of Medicine was created 
 
College Level Undergraduate SSTRIDE and MAPS implemented at FSU 
Timeline from 2001-2003, image shows a group of about twelve adults dressed in professional attire standing outside the college of medicine building with one adult male speaker standing with a microphone ready to speak, the other adults are standing behind the speaker as if they are supporting his speech.
 

2001

BRIDGE to Clinical Medicine Post-Baccalaureate program begins
 
SSTRIDE and Big Bend Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Partnership 
 

2002

FSU College of Medicine was granted provisional accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
 
First Medical Assisting Partnership was with Lively Technical School
 

2003

Rural SSTRIDE Expansion Program Begins in Okaloosa & Madison Counties
 
Rural Introduction to Premedical Education (RIPE) Three-week Residential Program Begins
 
SSTRIDE and West Florida AHEC Partnership
Timeline from 2004-2005, image shows three high school students in matching yellow t-shirts sitting inside a clinical learning center mock patient room with a female adult doctor in a white coat speaking to them as if she is teaching them something, the students and the doctor all have stethoscopes around their necks.
 

2004

SSTRIDE Gadsden County program begins
 
New SSTRIDE Afterschool Tutoring Center at FSUCOM directed by Dr. Liz Foster
 

2005

Dr. Helen Livingston Retires
 
FSU College of Medicine was granted full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
 
SSTRIDE, USSTRIDE, and BRIDGE are cited as an Institutional Strength by the LCME
 
FSU College of Medicine opens first Rural Educational Program in Marianna, FL, approximately an hour’s drive west of Tallahassee.
Timeline from 2007-2009, image shows a male college student in scrubs drawing blood from another male college student inside a mock clinical medical patient room.
 

2007

Dr. Myra Hurt submitted paperwork for Bridge to become a Master's program
 
FSU College of Medicine opens Rural Clinical-Training Site in Immokalee, FL, a migrant farm community on the edge of the Everglades in South Florida
 

2008

RIPE Summer Program Transitions to SSTRIDE one-week residential Summer Institute Program 
 

2009

Dr. Helen Livingston was rehired to facilitate the development of a Masters's Program for Bridge
Timeline from 20011-2015, image shows a high school student in garnet colored medical scrubs with medical rubber gloves on and safety goggles using a pippet in the lab.
 

2011

FSU College of Medicine was granted maximum accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
 
SSTRIDE, USSTRIDE, and BRIDGE are cited as an Institutional Strength by the LCME
 

2014

SSTRIDE Orange County program begins
 

2015

SSTRIDE Collier County & SSTRIDE Walton County programs begin
 
Dr. Helen Livingston spearheaded the development of the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Program (IMS), led the task force, and articulated the various partnerships that contributed to the major
Timeline from 2016-2019, image shows what appears to be a library with rows of seats with high school students and parents sitting in seats listening to a speaker outside the view of the photo.
 

2016

Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IMS) Bachelor’s program begins
 

2017

SSTRIDE Sarasota County program begins
 

2019

SSTRIDE Connect program begins
 
Dr. Helen Livingston Retires
 
Dr. Anthony Speights was appointed Associate Dean of IMS and BRIDGE Program Director & Dr. Elizabeth Foster was appointed Assistant Dean of IMS
Timeline from 2020-2025, image shows two adult female medical students sitting at a table smiling with water glasses and silverware on the table getting ready for what appears to be a banquet setting.
 

2020

SSTRIDE Virtual Pre-Med Mentoring program begins (Immokalee & Sarasota)
 
Dr. Anthony Speights was appointed Senior Associate Dean of IMS & Dr. Elizabeth Foster was appointed Associate Dean of IMS
 

2021

The Premed Mentoring Program at Booker High School in Sarasota County begins its partnership with USSTRIDE and MAPS
 
The Premed Mentoring Program at Immokalee High School in Collier County begins its partnership with the Honors Medical Scholars (HMS) program
 

2025

Dr. Thesla Berne-Anderson Retires & Dr. Erica Miller was appointed Executive Director for Pathway Programs