New
academy students chat at the 2006 student orientation program. (Photo
courtesy of the Texas A&M Health Science Center)
(Prairie View)—The Prairie View A&M University Undergraduate Medical Academy has grown from 18 to 54 students in its first two years and in May celebrated its first graduate, Mina Rosenthal-Eames, now a student at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston.
“The academy was established in 2004 because while African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians currently make up more than 25 percent of the U.S. population, they only account for 9 percent of the nation’s nurses, 6 percent of our physicians and 5 percent of our dentists,” said Dennis Daniels, director of the academy and professor of epidemiology at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, a partner in the academy. “Our goal is to increase these numbers.”
In addition, the shortage of health care professionals in the United States is expected to worsen over the next decade as the number of retiring practitioners exceeds the number of those entering the field. “Training students at the undergraduate level is crucial,” said Will J. Wyatt, Jr., medical science program coordinator. “Our program seeks to prepare students so that they can maintain a higher level of success once in medical school.”
Academy students find out first-hand what the medical profession is like through research, internships and mentoring programs. College of Medicine faculty members serve as instructors and advisers and help students prepare for the Medical College Admission Test.
“We have already experienced a measure of success that will propel our growth and the success of our students,” Daniels said. “While we have agreements in place to have students who successfully complete our program accepted into certain Texas medical schools, our students are receiving training and preparation that will enable them to compete for placement in any medical school.”
The
academy’s research programs, internships and mentoring opportunities
help students prepare for success in medical school. (Photo courtesy
of the Texas A&M Health Science Center)
Admission requirements are rigorous. In addition to highly competitive academic qualifications, students must participate in community service activities. They must also submit letters of recommendation and writing samples and go through an interview process.
Internships that help students develop basic science and clinical research skills, learn medical Spanish and gain a greater understanding of medical specialties are a big part of the program. This summer, each Academy student participated in internships in locations ranging from all parts of Texas to the Himalayas and Jamaica.
“I recommend this program to any student who is interested in a career in the medical field,” said Alexandrea Scott, a UMA senior. “Since being admitted to the academy, I have gained valuable experience from working with researchers each summer, traveling to student medical conferences and by having great mentors.”
Initially, the program started with concentrations in pre-dental, pre-medical and pre-veterinary science. However, the focus was recently narrowed to pre-medical training in an effort to more substantially support the original intent of increasing the pipeline of minority students who are prepared to succeed in medical school.
The partnership between Prairie View A&M and the College of Medicine has led to the establishment of collaborative grants, summer research experiences for students, mentoring programs and “mini-grand rounds,” weekly discussion groups between students and staff.
In 2005, the partnership received a $340,000 award from the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board in support of its efforts to generate a qualified
pool of minority applicants for medical school. 