CL-08: BRINGING HEALTH CAREERS TO AN UNDER-RESOURCED HIGH SCHOOL: HEALTH CAREER COLLABORATIVE IN ST. LOUIS
David Kneiber1, Iris Kuo1, Liana Gefter, MD2, Michael Awad, MD, PhD3, Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD3; 1Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 2Lankenau Medical Center, Main Line Health, Wynnewood, PA, USA, 3ection of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Background: Health Career Collaborative (HCC) is a national high school outreach program providing mentorship, a health curriculum, and health career exposure to students from low-income, primarily underrepresented minority communities. Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), Washington University Institute for Surgical Education (WISE), and Jennings Senior High School partnered to establish the St. Louis HCC to improve minority representation in medicine
Methods: Barnes-Jewish-Christian Healthcare School Outreach and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education helped identify an appropriate partner school. WUSM HCC leaders worked with Jennings administrators to establish a sustainable partnership. First-year medical students are implementing the curriculum over eight months.
Results: At the Kickoff at WUSM, fifteen students learned about health topics and careers from WUSM physicians. At Jennings, the four teams (two WUSM and four Jennings students each) worked through ER cases and will prepare academic and artistic presentations on health topics important to their community. Students will return for WISE surgical-skills activities and to present and receive feedback from WUSM physicians.
Conclusions: The percentage of matriculating African-American medical students (7.3%) remains low (2017, AAMC). This partnership has the potential to address this disparity by introducing underrepresented minority youth to health careers in a supportive environment.