ABSTRACT

"On the one hand we're providing a source of information about medical professions," she said. "But we're also providing the ability to work with medical professionals as mentors. So we certainly hope to boost enrollment."

"It's been getting a lot of traffic," said [Paula Davis]. "It's very comprehensive and quite user-friendly."

"We'll be able to get some level of feedback on an interim basis by tracking the Web site," said Davis. "But because students will not always be using their Pitt e-mail accounts to access the site, it won't be as accurate as it could be."

FULL TEXT

Given the disparity between minorities in the general population and the percentage graduating from U.S. medical schools, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is joining three other universities in a program aimed at diversifying the medical field.

Called AspiringDocs, the two-year pilot outreach program was developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges and will use a variety of techniques to attract students ineluding a comprehensive online resource site and the support of teachers and advisers who are critical in guiding students to medical careers.

Though African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans make up 25 percent of the population nationally, they account for only 12 percent of medical school graduates.

The University of Pittsburgh was chosen for the program-along with Rutgers University, California State University in Fresno and the University of Arizona-because each school has a large percentage of minority under-graduate biology majors with fewer than expected applying to and attending medical school.

Pitt kicked off its campaign March 25 with a two-hour "AspiringDocs Day" at the William Pitt Union with more than 50 students attending. Paula Davis, assistant vice chancellor for diversity for the Schools of the Health Sciences, said she was pleased with the turnout and believes the program will boost the number of minorities in Pitt's medical school.

"On the one hand we're providing a source of information about medical professions," she said. "But we're also providing the ability to work with medical professionals as mentors. So we certainly hope to boost enrollment."

Davis said she has been doing extensive promotion for the program through interactive Web sites such as Facebook, through e-mails and mass mailings to students' homes, through campus publications and through information booths at dormitories.

The key resource for the program is the www.aspiringdocs.org. Web site, which offers a trove of information and resources for potential students on topics ranging from financing med school and applying to med schools to acing tests and networking with professionals.

"It's been getting a lot of traffic," said Davis. "It's very comprehensive and quite user-friendly."

The program's level of success, however, will not be fully known until the AAMC collates its data on admissions and enrollment at the end of the two-year program.

"We'll be able to get some level of feedback on an interim basis by tracking the Web site," said Davis. "But because students will not always be using their Pitt e-mail accounts to access the site, it won't be as accurate as it could be."

For more information on the program, contact Davis at pdavis@hs.pitt.edu or at 412-648-2066.

by Christian Morrow

Courier Staff Writer

(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com)