NYAM Launches New Education Initiative for Girls Underrepresented in the Fields of Health, Science, and Medicine

NEW YORK CITY- Feb 26, The Office of School Health Programs at The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), launched G.I.R.L.S. (Getting Into Real Life Science) and Health Professions with an introduction and interactive seminar on Global Health with NYAM President Jo Ivey Boufford, MD. G.I.R.L.S. is a unique initiative designed to reach out to girls from minority groups that are underrepresented in health, science, and medicine to help cultivate the personal and professional skills needed for careers in these fields.

From left to right: Tiara Ottley, Denasia Garris, Isabel Romero-North, Tiasia Richards, Vijay Nandi and Tracy Pugh

"With President Obama's focus on prevention and public health in his administration, this is an opportune time to be a part of the future of health professions in this country. The work that you will do will not only affect your communities but communities like yours all over the world. You can be the pioneers of a new generation of health care professionals, starting right here at NYAM," said Dr. Boufford.

Research indicates that girls benefit greatly when provided with not just a focus on the prevention of potential problems such as teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or drug abuse to succeed in life, but are provided with an environment that nurtures leadership skills and gives them the opportunity to have real-world experiences, knowledge, and skills to pursue careers in the fields of science, medicine, and health.

The G.I.R.L.S. initiative will address the "whole girl," physically, emotionally, and mentally including activities that are: gender specific and developmentally appropriate; acknowledge, respect and incorporate the cultural context of girls’ lives; address societal issues that present barriers and challenges to success; and welcome and involve the women in the girls’ lives who can positively influence their achievement.

The program will build on the work of other NYAM initiatives including The Junior Fellows Program, which focuses on increasing the awareness of eighth grade student’s professional options in the fields of health, science, medicine, and research, as well as The Scholars Program for Junior Fellows alumni in high school and beyond, which allows students to gain in-depth views of the lives, careers, and expertise of professionals in these fields.

NYAM has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities.

Posted on March 6, 2009

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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

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