For the second consecutive summer, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (ODICE) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine virtually hosted more than 70 students who participated in the Medical Scholars Programs (MSP)—its annual summer pipeline courses.
Under the MSP umbrella, there are four programs that each serve a vital role in recruiting and retaining underrepresented students who have an interest in becoming a physician.
For high schoolers from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the High School Careers in Medicine Workshop is dedicated to those interested in the health sciences. Students get one-on-one academic advising, interact with medical school faculty members, and get assistance with the college application process.
The Minority Students in Health Careers Motivation Program is for students who intend to apply to medical school, and it helps them develop skills to fulfill the application process competitively. In addition, they receive instruction on a few select courses from the medical school curriculum, participate in workshops, and get reviews of their portfolios.
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) Preparation Program helps premed students prepare for the MCAT tests. This readiness includes classroom instruction along with workshops and practice tests.
Lastly, the Summer Training in Research Program, which was not offered this summer but will resume in person for summer 2022, offers insights into the field of medicine by providing laboratory and clinical research experience.
The MSP courses are enhanced by the lifelong work of Astrid Mack, former associate dean for minority affairs at the Miller School of Medicine. Today, with the support of Dr. Henri Ford, dean and chief medical officer of the Miller School of Medicine, the program continues to serve a vital role for underrepresented students on a path to medicine.
Nanette Vega, the assistant dean for diversity at the Miller School of Medicine and a double alumna of the University, said it was important for her and the ODICE team—colleagues Janet Bringuez Sanchez, assistant director, and Touri White, program manager—to remain committed to providing the programs in the midst of so much uncertainty.
“We had to reimagine the programs, and we had to adapt to a virtual platform,” said Vega. “The goal was to mitigate the widening opportunity gaps that are often exacerbated for underrepresented students. We had to remain committed because we felt it was necessary to join in the effort to diversify the provider workforce, to provide a culturally competent education, and to eliminate the causes of health disparities.”
Two scholars who are on their way to a promising profession in medicine are Kamisha Charles and Ashlee Sealy. Both participated in the pipeline program as an undergraduate and high school student, respectively. Both were teaching assistants in this year’s program and noted that it was a priority to give back to the programs that provided them with a foundation upon which to build their medical education. Vega said that she believes this speaks to the impact and level of connection that is created within the programs.
Charles, a second-year medical student at the Miller School of Medicine, participated in the Medical College Admissions Test Prep Program when she was an undergraduate at the University of Miami. This summer, she was a teaching assistant for the same program.
“It was incredibly helpful for me. There were a lot of things that I thought I knew about the medical school application process that I didn't,” said Charles, a first generation Haitian American. “I really wanted to teach this program and give back. I think it's informative and important, because a lot of students of color are the first person in their families who are navigating medical school applications for the first time. It can be a very daunting and confusing process.”
Charles said having a program where you can ask questions and be guided by trustworthy staff members in terms of your application process is beneficial. As a teaching assistant, her goal was to help students increase their competitiveness for medical school—something that was obtainable to her as a student after she participated in the summer program.
“I definitely would recommend the program,” said Charles. “You get to meet physicians. You get to meet other medical students and physician residents who look like you—which I think is really helpful when looking for potential mentors and some people to interact with and learn about their journeys. You really see that medicine is not one linear journey like you would think.”
Sealy, a junior studying biochemistry and molecular biology at the University, has participated in both the Summer Training in Research Program and MCAT Preparation program. Her most memorable moment as a teaching assistant this summer, she said, was seeing students overcome timidity and ask questions.
“I would highly recommend this program to any student who wants to push themselves intellectually and nurture their scientific and medical curiosities,” said Sealy, who is also a Ronald A. Hammond Scholar. “By taking advantage of this program, students from underrepresented and marginalized communities can be empowered to seize opportunities that they would not have been afforded otherwise.”
MSP applications for next year’s cohorts will be available in December 2021. For more information about the summer programs, visit the ODICE website.
