Subject
Summer Camp; Medicine; Non-Profit
Description
Representation in the medical field is vital to closing the healthcare gap and improving health outcomes for Black Americans. And yet, in the United States, just 5 percent of all active physicians identify as Black or African American, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Houston non-profit Mission Transformation has partnered with Baylor College of Medicine with the goal of improving these statistics. On Thursday the organization is launching its Future Doctor’s Camp, functioning as an extension of its existing coding camps that help engage young Black boys in STEM. The 3-day doctor’s program will teach Black and Brown mentees about medicine, and career opportunities, and provide an opportunity to work with Baylor College of Medicine medical students.
“Statistics show that Black males make up less than 3 percent of physicians, and many face numerous personal obstacles that prohibit successful careers in medicine,” says Mission Transformation founder Julius Bayone on the decision to launch the program. “Whether it’s a lack of mentors who look like them or the massive financial debt associated with academic medicine, many Black males in lower-income communities don’t believe they can pursue a career as a physician.”
Creator
By Tanya Christian
Source
Publisher
ebony.com
File
