Program Goals:
- Expose underrepresented high school students in STEM to the opportunities available in the health professions.
- Increase the number of underrepresented students entering the health professions, allied health fields, and graduate sciences.
- Facilitate interactions between underrepresented high school students, medical students, and faculty at medical institutions.
- Increase high school student awareness of the unique healthcare needs of minority and economically disadvantaged communities.
- Strengthen high school student motivation to pursue a career in the sciences via creative, intellectual, and sociocultural mechanisms.
- Counsel motivated college-bound minority and underrepresented high school students on college survival skills and the premedical curriculum.
To achieve these goals, we have allotted time for mentors to assist students with the final presentation assignment, interviewing, and personal statement writing. Students are also given detailed feedback for each graded category at the conclusion of the program.
Participant Expectations
- Attend at least 6 sessions (8 total).
- Be on time.
- Ask questions.
- Participate actively in group discussions.
- Complete assignments in a timely fashion.
- Have fun!
Assignments
Case Competition
- Each participant will be assigned to a team that will present on an important medical topic.
- Time will be allotted during the program to allow participants to work on completing the necessary duties for the case competition.
- Students are responsible for completing any remaining prep work outside of class time.
- Teams will be graded by a panel of judges during the last session.
Personal Statement
- Each participant will be required to write a personal statement in response to one of several specified prompts. Medical students will review drafts, provide editing suggestions and feedback, and a final submission will be due at the end of the program.
Mock Interview
- Each participant is required to participate in a 15 minute mock interview with a medical student.
- Interviewers will ask college interview style questions.
- Participants will be asked to dress professionally on mock interview day and will be expected to answer questions as though they are applying to an undergraduate institution.
