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More than 30 young ladies sat in a circle on the carpet at NYAM to participate in their first workshop in this year’s G.I.R.L.S. (Getting into Real Life Science) and Health Professions program. Ingrid Walker-Descartes, MD, MPH, FAAP, Assistant Program Director of the pediatric residency training program and Attending Pediatrician at Maimonides Infants and Children's Hospital, and a member of the G.I.R.L.S Advisory Board, facilitated the intimate discussion on October 14.
Dr. Walker-Descartes joined the circle of 7th grade girls from middle schools in East Harlem who aspire to enter the health, science, and medical fields and shared her journey from Jamaica as a child, to her struggle to stay out of trouble as a teen, to her unwavering determination to reach her goals. Dr. Walker-Descartes also discussed the societal challenges she faced as a young African American woman who secured a scholarship to attend a predominately Caucasian private boarding school through her high school years.
Dr. Walker-Descartes raised important issues that may present themselves to aspiring minority women as they make their journey toward their chosen profession. She explained that whenever someone said or implied that she might not succeed, she was determined to show that she could. She also suggested that the girls stay focused, explaining “???some of your friends may be going out and going to parties, and getting involved in activities that your parents may not approve of. It’s hard, but stay focused, work hard, and you will get to where you want to be. I missed a lot of parties in high school and college, but I earned my place in my field, and I love my job, not many people can say that.”
G.I.R.L.S. is designed to increase the participation of underrepresented minority women in careers in the sciences, medicine, health and allied health professions. The program, in its second year, builds on the work of current NYAM initiatives, including the Junior Fellows and Scholars Programs and school-based Comprehensive Health Education by expanding, intensifying and deepening the educational experiences provided to girls in New York City public schools. The program provides opportunities for underserved minority girls to build their capacity to pursue careers in these professions by offering academic support and gender-specific learning experiences to promote resilience, 21st century life skills, and health skills development. Participants have opportunities to practice non-academic competencies such as leadership, problem-solving, higher order thinking, and public speaking skills. The G.I.R.L.S. program also provides mentoring experiences with minority women health professionals and educational opportunities in tandem with their mothers, caregivers, or other women in their lives who can serve as allies and support for their career goals.
Posted on October 27, 2009
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."
Learn more »
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
