Pre-Med Enrichment Program for Under-represented Minority Undergraduates

The aim of this program is to prepare under-represented minority students for careers in academic medicine or other positions of leadership in medicine. Over a ten-week period, beginning in late May, selected students (usually between 10 and 12 students) who have completed two years of undergraduate education, will be engaged in a program of research, clinical observations, classroom exercises and teaching observation designed to stimulate and cultivate their interest in academic medicine. The students will be engaged in activities pertaining to the medical school application and admissions process, classroom instruction and simulated testing to prepare the students for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

The program, now in its fourteenth year of operation, is sponsored by the Center of Excellence for Diversity in Health Education and Research of the School of Medicine, with funds provided by The Department of Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Health Professions Diversity. Jerry C. Johnson, MD, Professor of Medicine, is Project Director.

For the research component of the program, each student is assigned a medical school faculty mentor with whom the student works 3 days per week in a laboratory or clinical setting. At the end of the program, each student participant writes a three to five page summary of their project; and, each student delivers a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation pertaining to their work before an audience composed of medical school faculty, medical students and other summer program students. In addition, all students are assigned a clinical preceptor whom the student shadows eight (8) hours per week, on an alternating weekly basis.

The lecture series consists of two, 2-hour lectures on alternating weeks. The goal of the lecture series is to: 1) acquaint the student with some of the subject matter of medical school, and 2) increase their understanding and appreciation for the art of medicine and health issues of the underserved. Past lecture topics have included: microbiology, physiology, communicating with patients and health care delivery to urban minority communities.

The students will be engaged in several workshops: 1) A medical school admissions workshop designed to guide the students through the medical school admissions process and to prepare the students to complete the AMCAS (America Medical College Application Service) application; 2) the students will have over 70 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of simulated testing provided by Kaplan Educational Centers to prepare students for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The application deadline is January 31, 2006. After this date, applications will not be processed.

Participating students who successfully complete the program will receive a stipend. In addition, housing and two meals per day (Monday – Friday) are provided at NO COST to participating students.

Students are selected from a national applicant pool. You are encouraged to apply if:

•  You are a US Citizen or Permanent Resident

•  You are in a pre-med undergraduate program with 60 or more earned credits

•  Your cumulative GPA is 2.75 or higher

•  You have an interest in medical research

For application information, please contact:

Lynne Allen-Taylor, PhD

Center of Excellence for Diversity

in Health Education and Research

3508 Market Street, Suite 234

Philadelphia, PA 19104-3357

(215) 898-3913

email: taylor2@mail.med.upenn.edu

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Center of Excellence for Diversity in Health Education and Research
Suite 234, 3508 Market Street,
Philadelphia PA 19104-3357
Tel: (215) 898-3980
Fax: (215) 573-2793

send inquires about this site to:
taylor2@mail.med.upenn.edu