Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/100670
RENDERING COURTESY OF NEOMED NEOMED���s residential housing village serves as a significant component of its campus expansion project with this aspect of the expansion increasing the existing 450,000-square-foot campus by 60 percent. ���Bio-Med Science Academy teaches students to be logical, critical thinkers and innovators who can solve complex problems,��� says Dr. Gershen. Other NEOMED programs are in place to engage students who have typically been underrepresented in medicine and pharmacy careers, including first generation college students, students from rural or urban environments, or students who identify with racial or ethnic groups that are underrepresented in healthcare professions. ���We���re looking at new ways to engage students in healthcare careers, while adding value to this engagement,��� says Erik Porfeli, MEd, PhD, assistant dean of Community Engagement and Admissions in the College of Medicine at NEOMED. Participants have the opportunity to interact with current medicine and pharmacy students, physicians and pharmacists, and receive exposure to these fields through fun and educational activities, such as: HealthSuccess ��� A highly selective enrichment program, which was developed for ninth through eleventh grade students to help them gain college readiness skills and prepare for careers in medicine or pharmacy. Pathways to Pharmacy ��� A pharmacy workforce development program that offers mentorship, enrichment programs and industry exposure to expand student interest in the pharmacy profession and increase the number of students who pursue a pharmacy career. MEDCAMP ���A three-day, intensive experience designed to stimulate students��� interests in the basic sciences and medicine and to expose them to career opportunities and hands-on experiences in those fields. Last year, NEOMED implemented a program with students at John Hay High School in Cleveland that encouraged them to identify a specific health concern affecting their local community and develop a specific strategy to address the issue. The project included submitting their proposals to the Cleveland Foundation for possible grant funding. ���Three of the four projects received a $5,000 grant from the Cleveland Foundation,��� notes Dr. Porfeli. ���This is a great way to empower students to solve a specific problem, while weaving together science and medicine with the needs of the community.��� Since its inception, and under the direction of Gina Weisblat, PhD, director of Education for Service, this program, known as Health Profession Affinity Communities (HPAC), has expanded to 20 different school districts in northeast Ohio, representing both urban and rural communities. ���Through these programs, we are finding and supporting the next generation of healthcare providers,��� says Dr. Porfeli. Although not every participant will go on to medical school, these pipeline programs have other positive outcomes, including helping students achieve academic success, become more engaged in their local communities, and identify pathways to other potential healthcare careers for which they may be better suited. ���Programs like HPAC make it possible for students to find out more about healthcare careers while they are still in high school, while also giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their level of commitment,��� says Dr. Porfeli. ���The result is a recruitment pool that���s more diverse, better prepared and more attuned to medically underserved issues.��� For more information about these and other NEOMED partnerships and programs, visit www.neomed.edu. ��� JANUARY- FEBRUARY 2013 ��� MDNEWS.COM ��� MD News Cleveland/Akron/Canton | 33