A new pipeline program launched by the Office of Health Equity and Community Affairs at WMed in partnership with Kalamazoo College, Western Michigan University, and The Kalamazoo Promise is serving as a launch pad for Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates as they begin their undergraduate studies and the pursuit of careers in healthcare.
The Health Careers Partnership Program (HCPP) is a six-week summer program that provides valuable exposure to the different healthcare fields and the opportunity to earn college credit. The program launched in May and the program’s first cohort of seven students completed the program on June 25.
Cheryl Dickson, MD, MPH, associate dean for Health Equity and Community Affairs at WMed, said HCPP is part of an expansion of the medical school’s Early Introduction to Health Careers (EIH) pipeline program and is meant to serve as a bridge for KPS graduates before they begin their studies at WMU or K-College and increase their chances of success once they begin their undergraduate coursework.
“It really is an extension of the EIH program so that when the students graduate, they have that in-between before undergrad for a higher likelihood to be successful as college students,” Dr. Dickson said.
As part of HCPP, students participated in a three-credit course at WMU’s College of Health and Human Services, as well as a one-credit course at WMed – Health Disparities Through a Case-Based Lens – that was led by Holly Turula, PhD, and Peter Vollbrecht, PhD, assistant professors in the medical school’s Department of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Dickson said the HCPP coursework at WMed also included a clinical skills component made up of offerings such as a CPR course in the Simulation Center, a vital signs workshop, and working with standardized patients in the Simulation Center, among other offerings.
Dr. Dickson said funding for the four hours of college credit the students can gain is provided by The Promise. While this year’s group included seven students, Dr. Dickson said plans are in place to expand future cohorts for HCPP to 12 to 15 students.
“We really see this program growing and getting better each year,” Dr. Dickson said. “Eventually, I want us to have program offerings for our students after their first and second years of undergrad. By doing that, we maintain that connection and the opportunity to help them as they navigate their college journey.”
Dr. Dickson said that continued connection with students during their college journey is vitally important in helping them be successful. Of the seven students who took part in HCPP, four were alumni of the EIH 2 pipeline program.
EIH 2 is a longitudinal initiative that is WMed’s flagship pipeline program and is comprised of monthly Saturday Science academies held from October to May.
EIH 2 focuses on health sciences, math, and development of critical thinking and problem solving for high school sophomores and the curriculum for the weekend science academies includes intentional, guided research, individual mentoring sessions, clinical and non-clinical speakers.
Dr. Dickson said one highlight of this year’s Health Careers Partnership Program was that Tristan Morales, an EIH 2 alumnus who is in his third year of the nursing program at WMU, served as a teaching assistant for the course the HCPP students took part in at WMU.
“To really see that full circle of our EIH students going to WMU and K-College and doing this program and now teaching, that’s exactly what we want to see and it’s wonderful,” Dr. Dickson said.
Meanwhile, high school students from EIH 2 recently completed a two-week summer camp at WMed and K-College earlier this month and work with younger students in the medical school’s other EIH programs – EIH 1 and EIH 1.5 – will continue through the remainder of summer, Dr. Dickson said.
EIH 1.5, also known as the Young Doctors Program, is an offering for middle schoolers and takes place at Milwood Magnet School in Kalamazoo. This past school year, more than two dozen students participated in the program. Dr. Dickson said the students will continue participating in the program this summer along with children from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kalamazoo.
Meanwhile, the EIH 1 program is continuing this summer with offerings for rising fourth graders at Northeastern Elementary in Kalamazoo who are taking part in summer school classes.