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NEW YORK CITY, Oct. 7 -- A program at The New York Academy of Medicine that recruits urban minority youth into health professions as early as middle school is motivating more of them to pursue careers in health, science and medicine, finds a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Urban Health, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal.
The Junior Fellows program focuses on improving the low proportion of minorities and women who enter science-based fields, an important step toward reducing health disparities among minorities in the United States, said lead author Gardith-Eileen Marcelin, Project Director of the program. ???A lack of diversity in the health, science and medical professions contributes to health disparities,??? said Marcelin, a health educator in the Academy Office of School Health Programs. ???By intervening early, programs like Junior Fellows provide essential recruitment of under-represented students.???
Researchers mailed an evaluation survey in 2001 to 160 Junior Fellows who had participated between 1996 (when the program was created) and 2000. The survey was returned by 64 students. More than half of those respondents (56 percent) said they were more interested in pursuing a career in health, science, medicine or research as a result of their Junior Fellows experience. More than three-fourths (76 percent) said the program had influenced their ideas about a career: 57 percent became interested in medicine, 19 percent in medical/scientific research, 14 percent in the allied health professions, and 9 percent in science as a result of their involvement. Junior Fellows alumni also said the program inspired them to participate in other science-based activities in high school. This included taking courses in advanced placement science, bioethics and research, volunteering at hospitals and health-related agencies, and joining college-based programs that assist students in pursuing medical careers.
???The more a young student is exposed to positive educational experiences in health and science, the more their desire may increase to pursue careers that incorporate those subjects,??? Marcelin said.
The Junior Fellows initiative was created by the Academy in 1996 as a partnership with New York City public schools and regional academic medical centers. More than 500 students graduated from the ten-month program through 2003. Bright students in grades 8 through 12 and between the ages of 13 and 18 are selected by each participating school. During the course of the school year, they attend seminars with physicians, medical students and scientists, tour an academic medical center in New York City, and receive instruction in the Academy???s world-renowned medical library on how to conduct reliable scientific research using published and online resources. The students then select a research project, often choosing a medical condition that has affected a family member or friend.
Each June, the latest crop of Junior Fellows unites at the Academy to present their findings in a poster session. A graduation ceremony follows to honor the Junior Fellows for their scholarship and further encourage their pursuit of science-based careers. This project-based learning under the guidance of health professionals and Academy staff continues to enhance adolescents??? critical thinking skills, build confidence, and allow students to foster relationships with adult role models.
???This program has inspired and motivated urban youths to choose health-related careers,??? said Leslie Goldman, Director of the Academy Office of School Health Programs. For more information about the Junior Fellows program, click here.
The Journal of Urban Health is published quarterly for the Academy. The Academy is a non-profit institution founded in 1847 that is dedicated to enhancing the health of the public through research, education and advocacy, with a particular focus on disadvantaged urban populations. Visit us online at www.nyam.org.
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Posted on October 7, 2004
Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org
Reporters: to arrange interviews with NYAM medical and urban health experts, contact
Andrew J. Martin, Director of Communications
212-822-7285 / amartin@nyam.org
The 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture - The Affordable Care Act: An Insider’s View
Featured Speaker: Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
November 19, 2012 - The NYAM Section on Health Care Delivery welcomes Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who will deliver the 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture on "The Affordable Care Act: An Insider's View."
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The New York Academy of Medicine with support from the New York State Heath Foundation released a new report, Federal Health Care Reform in New York State: A Population Health Perspective.
This report identifies opportunities that build on both the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) and New York’s ongoing efforts toward improving the health of its 19 million residents.
Read press release
Read report
