ALA 106 is one of the two courses that everyone in the Health Sciences Scholars Program (HSSP) takes. The focus of the course is health care systems – the big, complex, messy and inconsistent ways in which healthcare is both provided and experienced in the U.S. and around the world. Class topics include: social and structural determinants of health; healthcare financing and its history, including the Affordable Care Act; healthcare quality and quality improvement; medical research and evidence-based medicine; and bioethics. Throughout the course we examine the impact of systemic inequities, including racism, on health and healthcare systems. The class culminates in a series of case studies that illustrate the complexities of the healthcare system and the impact of those complexities on patient experiences and outcomes. Past case studies have included the Flint water contamination crisis, breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, abortion policy and clinical care, and mental health care, among others. Guest lecturers are an important part of the course, offering diversity of experience and identity, as well as exposure to the depth and breadth of expertise within University of Michigan. In addition to a weekly lecture, students also meet weekly in “labs” to continue exploration of course content through small group team-based activities. Approximately half of the weeks of the semester we have invited guests as part of our evening “Autobiography” series. Speakers reflect on their own paths in healthcare and offer guidance, and usually inspiration.