Summer program helps disadvantaged students succeed as doctors

Disadvantaged undergraduates from across the country attended a unique six-week program at UofL this summer designed to help prepare them for the rigors of medical or dental school.

The Summer Medical and Dental Education Program, funded by a $1.2 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides students with intensive instruction in basic science and math courses, clinical experiences, career-development guidance and financial-planning information.

Participating students also receive a small stipend for incidental expenses. Housing, meals and tuition are covered by the grant.

The program is part of a national effort to reduce disparities in health care by creating a more diverse medical and dental workforce. The program is administered nationally by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Dental Education Association.

At UofL, 75 students participated this summer -- with 27 hailing from Kentucky.

The program is targeted at students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as students from rural areas or racial and ethnic groups that are under-represented in medicine and dentistry.

Each student gets practice with the kind of integrated problem-solving common to the medical and dental fields, officials said. He or she also works with faculty and staff to design customized career plans.