Nearly 1,500 area youth have been introduced to the variety of career possibilities in the biomedical science and healthcare fields in the past decade, thanks to WMed.
Students, faculty, and staff, as well as several members of the Kalamazoo community, gathered in the courtyard of the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus on Friday, August 2, to celebrate that significant milestone and the 10th anniversary of the medical school’s Early Introduction to Health Careers (EIH) pathway programs.
The multi-pronged initiative, established in 2014 and led by Cheryl Dickson, MD, MPH, chief diversity officer and associate dean for Health Equity, seeks to empower underrepresented elementary, middle, and high school students in Southwest Michigan through hands-on, team-based lessons, activities, simulations, mentoring, and research facilitated by WMed students and faculty.
It all began with a group of nearly 30 area high school students in 2014 and has since grown to include about 50 high school students annually, as well as additional programming for elementary and middle school students and the Science Research Enrichment Program for undergraduates. In total 1,478 students have benefited from EIH programming over the past decade at WMed.
The important work is made possible through partnerships with Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Western Michigan University, and is supported by grants from United Way of South Central Michigan, Stryker, and the Harold and Grace Upjohn, Dorothy U. Dalton, and Irving S. Gilmore foundations.
“I think the most important thing with pathway programs is that it’s a pathway, right? We are trying to do something to help students to be able to achieve their dreams,” Dickson explained during the 10-year anniversary celebration. “It’s really important that these kinds of programs exist and that they continue to exist, and I’m really proud that WMed has supported this program all of these years.”
Those attending the celebration on August 2 enjoyed lunch and ice cream and had the opportunity to hear from several students about the positive impact the EIH programs have had on their lives.
Toria Oropeza, a junior at the University of Michigan studying gender and health, participated in the EIH pathway program during her sophomore year of high school. At the time, she was debating whether to become a nurse or an endocrinologist.
“The opportunities EIH 2 has given me in hands-on learning about the healthcare field laid the foundation for my career exploration,” Oropeza said. “Through participating in the program, I was able to navigate and analyze my interests in the medical field and how these aligned with my personal strengths.”
The experience helped Oropeza realize that her passions lay in promoting healthcare accessibility through administration rather than practicing medicine as she had initially planned.
“Finding what you don’t want to do is just as important as discovering what you would like to do and puts students light years ahead of where they would have been otherwise, saving time, money and endless frustration,” Oropeza said.
Desire Hollins, a junior at Michigan State University majoring in human biology, not only took part in EIH in high school, but also recently completed a stint in the Science Research Enrichment Program.
The eight-week pathway program focuses on pairing rising second-year, third-year, and senior-year college students with a WMed scientist, providing a direct, hands-on laboratory research experience for students in the laboratories at WMed.
“These programs have given me hands-on experience, boosted my confidence and confirmed my passion for pursuing a career in medicine,” Hollins said.
EIH programs have also had a profound impact on WMed students, including M4 Kevin Chen.
During his first year of medical school, Chen recalled being randomly assigned, as part of WMed’s curriculum, to the EIH 1.5 program at Milwood Magnet School. Initially, Chen was terrified at the prospect of working with middle school students but seeing the kids excited and eager to learn on the first day unlocked something in him.
“Working with these kids inspired me,” Chen said. “It’s inspired the type of work I want to do once I graduate, moving away from academics more into pathway programs and working with younger kids, intervening at an early age.
“I have very much love for the EIH program and as great as it is for the kids - I don’t want to be selfish - but it’s even better for the students and it’s impacted me tremendously,” Chen added. “I am forever thankful.”