Diversity & Equity Resources

In recent years, it has become clear that in order to achieve equity in healthcare access and outcomes, the U.S. needs to intentionally increase the diversity of its healthcare providers.  The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) defines underrepresented in medicine (URiM) as those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population at a regional level.  Here we provide a list of resources, including both organizations and summer opportunities, that support efforts to diversify the cohort of undergraduate students pursuing the health professions.  We will continue to add to this list as we learn of additional resources.  

Opportunities in the PNW

Organizations

Northwest Health Career Path (formerly Pipeline Mapping Project)Are you a student pursuing a career in the health professions? Do you come from a background that might place barriers in your way? There’s something for every student in healthcare.

Center for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (CEDI)- CEDI promotes diversity and inclusiveness throughout the School of Medicine including the WWAMI region.

Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine (CCM)- A pre-health Registered Student Organization striving to increase the number of under-represented minorities in healthcare.

Health Sciences Center Minority Students Program (HSCMSP)- Supports underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students interested in health science, biomedical, or behavioral graduate or professional opportunities at every stage of their university career.

Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA) Healthcare Careers Pathway Program (HCCP)- This program aims to provide students with the space to build meaningful connections with other pre-health students and gain exposure to the medical field. The main goal is to support the increase, growth, and development of healthcare leaders from historically under-represented and minoritized communities. 

Summer Opportunities

Neurological Surgery Summer Student Program (NSSSP)– The mission of NSSSP is to recruit and educate a wide spectrum of students from diverse backgrounds, focusing on those under-represented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and broaden their knowledge base in the field of biomedical research, including translational, clinical and basic research; and to inspire students to pursue a career in research, medicine or allied fields, especially in Neuroscience.

OHSU Summer Equity Internship Program– The OccHealthSci Summer Internship program is designed to introduce undergraduate students to biomedical and occupational health research.

SCRI Summer Scholars Program– The goal of the program is to provide undergraduate students with a background that is historically underrepresented in the biomedical and health sciences an opportunity to engage in basic, clinical and/or translational research projects during the summer at Seattle Children’s Research Institute under the mentorship of experienced researchers and principal investigators.

Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP)– The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a free summer program for students to explore their interests in medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, and more.

Reimagine Indians Into Medicine (RISE) Summer Academy- Through grant funding from the Indian Health Service’s Indians Into Medicine Program (INMED) and the Empire Health Foundation, the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) to participate in pathway programs. The RISE Summer Academy, a 6-week program, open to American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) aspiring physicians.

Opportunities Outside the PNW

Organizations

Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS)– A national association dedicated to helping undergraduate students from under-represented backgrounds realize their potential in healthcare fields.

Allied Health Career Exploration– AHCE participants receive the necessary information to pursue a College of Health Professions application process.

UCLA Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Enrichment Program- PREP is designed to support students who have experienced social, economic, or educational disadvantage in their journey to medical education. The program prepares students through academic enrichment, personal development, MCAT review sessions, longitudinal application support, focus on health disparities, interview skills and practice, and longitudinal mentorship.

GUSOM Academy for Research, Clinical, and Health Equity Scholarship (ARCHES)- GUSOM ARCHES aims to strengthen the research and clinical skills of promising undergraduate students and prepare them for successful matriculation into medical school.

Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) (Multiple locations) – ASPHN’s Health Equity Internship Program is a 12-week paid internship created to support the diversification of the public health and health related workforce. The program offers students a unique opportunity to apply academic and problem-solving skills to real-life work experiences. Equally important, the public health programs in which they intern gain fresh perspectives and vitality from future leaders.

Summer Opportunities

Summer Academic Enrichment Program– AEP participants attend learning skills and test-taking workshops, mock interviews, professionalism seminars, current health care topics, coaching and community service activities in an interprofessional framework.

Premedical Urban Leaders Summer Enrichment Program (PULSE)– The primary goal of PULSE is to provide students from underrepresented and/or educationally and financially disadvantaged backgrounds exposure to medical professions.

Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program (Health PASS)– Des Moines University’s Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program – Health P.A.S.S. – is a great way to prepare for and enhance your chances of getting into medical or health professions school. Health P.A.S.S. provides you with key insights and hands-on experience in a variety of health professions.

The Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP)– An 8-week research experience that provides an opportunity for undergraduates to explore careers in the medical profession under the guidance and supervision of staff from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The program prepares students through mentoring, networking, and hands-on research experience. The program encourages all interested students to apply to this program but requires a demonstrated interest and commitment to Native American communities.) and another one that sounded good at the University of Utah.

Amgen Scholars (California) – The University of California, San Francisco Amgen Scholars Program provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to conduct research in the biological, biomedical and behavioral sciences. Through this comprehensive 10-week summer experience, Amgen Scholars will prepare for graduate study and a research career in the health sciences. Students will be matched with a faculty mentor and complete an original project under the guidance of their mentor. At the end of the program, Amgen Scholars will present their findings in the form of a written abstract, verbal presentation, and poster presentation.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Massachusetts) – The Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship (STARS) program is a distinguished summer research opportunity that provides underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students an opportunity to engage in research projects at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and in conjunction with Harvard Medical School (HMS). This program is designed to enhance the research capabilities of URiM students and to encourage these scholars to pursue advanced graduate education and training at BWH and HMS.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Massachusetts) – The Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) hosts an eight-week Diversity in Pharmacoepidemiology Summer Internship Program. The summer internship provides the opportunity for experiential and didactic learning through division meetings, journal clubs, webinars, and guest presentations. Interns complete a summer capstone project under the supervision of a faculty member. The long-term goal of the program is to assist students whose backgrounds have historically been underrepresented in biomedical and clinical research to build necessary skills for their career interests in public health, medicine, and other related fields.

Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine (New Hampshire) – The Dartmouth MD-PhD Undergraduate Summer (MPUS) Fellowship Program is an 8 week fellowship aimed at exposing Fellows to basic medical science research by conducting cutting edge research alongside MD-PhD students presently in the PhD portion of their training. In addition, Fellows will have the opportunity to examine the clinical aspect of medicine during weekly rounds with one of Dartmouth’s illustrious clinical faculty at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). Finally, Fellows will be exposed to the wonderful community of MD-PhD students at Dartmouth and get to better understand the role of, and opportunities available to, the physician-scientist in training.

Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts) – The Summer Program in Biostatistics & Computational Biology is an intensive 6-week program, where students will learn about biostatistics and epidemiology fundamentals, including statistical software packages. In addition to exploring these fields, they will also participate in a collaborative research project with Public Health faculty.

Harvard School of Public Health (Massachusetts) – The Summer Program in Epidemiology introduces the use of mathematics and quantitative methods in public health areas such as cancer prevention, infectious disease, neuropsychiatric, and pharmacoepidemiology. This 4- week program includes introductory coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics, attending formal lectures by Harvard faculty members, and conducting a group research project on a public health topic. ✓ U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident.

The Leadership Alliance (Multiple Locations) – The Leadership Alliance is a national consortium of 20 leading research and teaching colleges and universities. The mission of the Alliance is to develop underrepresented students into outstanding leaders and role models in academia, business and the public sector. The Summer Research – Early Identification Program (SREIP) is a fully paid summer internship that provides undergraduates with training and mentoring in the principles underlying the conduct of research and prepares them to pursue competitive applications to PhD or MD-PhD programs. ✓ U.S. citizen or non-citizen national, or permanent resident.

Massachusetts General Hospital (Massachusetts) – The goal of the Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) is to build a pipeline of underrepresented in medicine, college and medical school students who are interested in academic biomedical research careers. The SRTP will pair students with a Mass General Hospital investigator in this 8-week program. Preceptors will provide guidance and instruction in techniques necessary to address current problems in science and medicine. ✓ U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York) – The Summer Undergraduate Research Program for Underrepresented Scholars (SURP4US) provides an opportunity for students from underrepresented racial and or ethnic groups to work on a cutting-edge research project at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Scholars will have the opportunity to conduct intensive research across various disciplines in a vibrant, diverse, and nurturing environment that will prepare them to submit PhD or MD/PHD applications.

San Francisco Department of Public Health (California) – SHARP (Summer HIV/AIDS Research Program) is an innovative 12-week summer mentored internship and learning experience designed to inspire students from underrepresented communities to pursue further studies and careers in public-health oriented research. Accepted interns will conduct a focused research project under the mentorship of experienced faculty. Interns will also attend a series of weekly seminars on topics including research design and methods, HIV prevention and approaches, substance & mental health research, professional development, health & racial equity, and possible research careers. There are also opportunities to shadow clinical trial and community outreach staff, attend community consultations on research, and participate in social and networking events.

Stanford University (California) – The Stanford Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEaD) Population Health Summer Research Program provides training and experience in population health research for college students who are from underrepresented and historically excluded groups in the health sciences. This 8-week summer program will include coursework in public health and an internship doing quantitative population health research with a faculty mentor. These experiences will be augmented with career building and networking opportunities.

Summer Health Professions Education Program (Multiple Locations) – The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) is a summer enrichment program that strives to strengthen the academic proficiency and career development of students underrepresented in the health professions and prepare them for a successful application and matriculation to health professions schools. SHPEP is implemented at 12 universities across the nation. Each institution provides scholars with academic enrichment in the basic sciences and math, clinical experiences, career development activities, learning and study skills seminars, and a financial planning workshop. Program sites vary on how they deliver each of these required components and their program start date, to see a list of participating institutions visit the website.

University of Alabama at Birmingham (Alabama) – The PARAdiGM Undergraduate Research Program is to provide undergraduate students from disadvantaged and underrepresented minority backgrounds with an opportunity to explore the MD/PhD field for two summers. For 8 weeks, interns will be paired with a faculty member to conduct a research project and to join in on clinical experiences.

University of California, San Diego (California) – The MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship is a program for students who are interested in pursuing an MD/PhD degree in the biomedicine and medical sciences. Students will conduct an 8-week research project with a faculty mentor in a biomedical sciences laboratory, shadow a physician-scientist on clinical experiences, attend career development and weekly seminars, and have the opportunity to present research at the end of the program.

University of Chicago (Illinois) – The Pritzker School of Medicine Experience in Research (PSOMER) is an 8-week summer program designed to provide faculty-mentored research experience and education. The program concludes with a mandatory research presentation forum at the end of the summer.. Students will also receive mentorship and guidance from Pritzker Medical School students and staff. This includes advising sessions with Pritzker admissions officers and social events with Pritzker and University of Chicago summer research program students.

University of Cincinnati (Ohio) – The UC UPRISE REU program provides 12-week summer research opportunities for undergraduate students in the science and engineering fields. Students admitted to the program will be actively engaged in a research project with a UC faculty member, where they will participate in the collection and analyses of data. At the end of the program students will present their results to the university community in a formal oral presentation and submit a technical paper. UPRISE students also attend weekly professionalization workshops on topics related to graduate/medical school, pursuing careers in STEM fields, and how to present research results in various formats.

University of Rochester (New York) – The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is a ten-week academic program designed to strengthen the science, clinical, and research skills of selected college students to enhance their competitiveness for careers in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Program participants conduct research in a medical center laboratory under the mentorship of faculty. The program includes seminars and activities, which allow for formal and informal discussions. Students are also exposed to weekly lectures/seminars, gross anatomy lectures and labs, clinical rotations in the Emergency Department, Problem-Based Learning sessions to enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, MCAT review/testing and mock interviews.

Weill Cornell Medical College (New York) – The Gateways to The Laboratory Summer Program is a 10-week program designed to provide students a mentored individual research project at Weill Cornell Medical College, Rockefeller University, or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Select interns participate in workshops for improving lab techniques and clinical research skills, scrub into surgeries at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, receive mentorship with a current MD-PhD student, and have a chance to present their research at a poster presentation.

Weill Cornell Medical College (New York) – The Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program is an opportunity for premedical students to gain more insight into the world of medicine by learning more about the issues facing underserved groups, acquiring basic research techniques from laboratory or clinical research experiences, and attending workshops on applying to and funding medical school attendance.

Massachusetts General Hospital (Massachusetts) – The goal of the Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP) is to build a pipeline of under-represented in medicine, college and medical school students who are interested in academic biomedical research careers. The SRTP will pair students with a preceptor in this 8-week program. Preceptors will provide guidance and instruction in techniques necessary to address current problems in science and medicine.

Georgetown School of Medicine (Washington, D.C.) – The Dean for Medical Education’s Academy for Research, Clinical, and Health Equity Scholarship (ARCHES) is a six-week program for ten undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing medical studies. This program will engage selected participants in clinical experience, guided research, and immersive community based learning. Participants will gain exposure to the clinical and research activities at Georgetown University School of Medicine and to the greater DC community on issues of health equity. ARCHES aims to strengthen the research and clinical skills of promising undergraduate students and prepare them for successful matriculation into medical school.

University of Maryland (Maryland) – The Greenebaum Cancer Center offers the Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research (NSIP), a 10-week mentored cancer research internship for undergraduate students interested in a research or medical career. Research topics encompass many areas that are on the forefront of scientific interest, including: Cancer drug resistance, Signal transduction, Programmed cell death, Molecular pharmacology, and Angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. Students will write and present a synopsis of their work at the conclusion of the program.

University of North Carolina School of Medicine– Chapel Hill (North Carolina) – The Medical Education Development (MED) program is a nine week internship that provides an opportunity for students from underrepresented backgrounds to experience the rigors of the medical school curriculum while shadowing physicians, developing clinical skills through patient simulation, and participating in professional development seminars designed to enhance the student’s appreciation for and deepen their understanding of the medical professions.

University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania) – The Undergraduate Student Scholars Program in the NIH Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases is an organized program of lectures and presentations combined with basic research experience. The curriculum is designed for undergraduate students with an interest in biomedical research, with the eventual goal of MD, PhD, or MD-PhD degrees. Students attend seminars on introductory topics in biomedical research and at the end of the course all participants present their research in a seminar.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine (North Carolina) – The Excellence in Cardiovascular Sciences (EICS) program focuses on research training in the cardiovascular sciences with medical school faculty. The curriculum includes laboratory research, a lecture series that features presentations by faculty and guest speakers, and a research symposium where the students present their research findings. Undergraduate students with an interest in a career in biomedical research are encouraged to apply.