MSM Receives $3.2M Federal Grant for Health Careers Academy
There are plenty of students in Atlanta and throughout Georgia interested in pursuing a career in the health and science professions, but due to economic and/or educational disadvantages, that interest can remain just a distant dream.
Morehouse School of Medicine’s Office for Educational Outreach and Health Careers will use a five-year, $3.2-million federal grant to enhance and expand its work to recruit and train these students to help make their dreams come true.
The funding, awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be used to create the Health Career Opportunity Program Academy at MSM. The academy focuses on development of structured programs designed to improve academic success at three critical stages: high school, undergraduate school and medical/graduate school.
Dr. Rahmelle Thompson, EOHC assistant dean of pipeline initiatives, along with Dr. Martha Elks, senior associate dean of educational affairs, and Jarrod Lockhart, EOHC assistant director, are leading the initiative. Objectives include instruction, mentoring, tutoring and other educational experiences intended to:
- Enhance academic achievement – course grades, timely academic progression, standardized test scores, and admission to next educational level (as applicable);
- Expand skills in research, data collection and analysis; critical thinking and analysis; critical reading and writing; and interpersonal skills; and
- Enhance interest in and progress towards a healthcare/biomedical science career.
The academy will provide counseling, academic support and enrichment including career exploration, mentoring to motivate and encourage, exposure to various healthcare experiences, and preparation for standardized exams.
MSM has a track record of recruiting and training disadvantaged students for careers as physicians who choose to focus their efforts on primary care and/or serving underserved populations. This work will build on a long history of extensive and successful pipeline programs, including previous work funded by HHS, and a well-established record of enabling students to experience academic achievements well beyond their entering credentials.
“Pipeline efforts are the foundation of who we are, how we succeed, and how we will change the world by leading the creation and advancement of health equity,” says President and Dean Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D. “This work is a central element of that endeavor.”
For program information, contact Lockhart, jlockhart@msm.edu. You can also watch a video on the 2018 summer research experience.