塞拉·涅托·戈麦斯报道 realized there would be challenges as an underrepresented minority student at the UMKC 医学院. 更重要的是, 这位医学院四年级学生还发现了一个对她有帮助的项目, 还有其他像她一样的人, rise to meet the challenges that many underrepresented minority students deal with in the health care field.

学生在学术界的训练, 健康, 与研究(STAHR)伙伴关系是UMKC医学院的合作项目, 牙科及药剂学. The program is designed to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering health care programs and better prepare them for success academically and professionally.

“作为一名学生, the STAHR program has provided a safe environment for me to be myself and to learn from students and physicians facing similar challenges,戈麦斯说。. “The most impactful thing that I’ve gained from this program is knowing that challenges persist through a person’s career. But as students and future physicians, we learn to adapt and grow from those challenges.”

STAHR is a two-pronged initiative that was started in 2018 to build and expand on the medical school’s highly successful high school Summer Scholars program and the dental school’s 世界杯赌场盘口 Enhancement Program.

今天, in addition to a greatly expanded scholars program that offers multiple tracts for high school and college students to learn about and prepare for careers in health care, STAHR encompasses an ambassador program that provides current UMKC health professions students with meetings and mentorship opportunities. Ambassador workshops take place several times a year to help students learn and develop pertinent skills such as overcoming self-doubt and develop strategies to achieve academic success.

这对于帮助学生建立志同道合的同伴社区也至关重要, 斯科特·格雷罗说, STAHR项目主任.

“我们使用专注于学术支持的托马斯原则, 心理支持, 身份的发展, 领导, 归属感和职业发展,格雷罗说. “Our first workshop was on academic support where we talked about what it means to be academically successful and how to overcome challenges in the classroom or within their setting.”

A November workshop focused on mental health and wellness and how to cope with the stress of being a health professional student and burnout.

“Being part of the STAHR program has helped me get to this point in my pharmacy degree,药学专业四年级学生纳蒂纳尔·马莫说. “The most impactful thing for me has been the numerous resources introduced to help me attain my academic and professional goals.”

他并不孤单. Students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds typically succeed in attending and completing health professions degree programs at a far lower rate than students from strong schools in thriving communities. 但是在密苏里大学堪萨斯分校, as many as 150 students and more than 130 staff and health professionals across the UMKC 健康 Sciences Campus and community are participating in the STAHR Ambassador and Scholars programs that are changing that dynamic.

现在是第四年，STAHR最初获得了5年期的3美元.美国卫生资源和服务管理局拨款200万美元. Guerrero said he will soon be applying to renew the grant while also working on other sustainability efforts.

与此同时, 他对STAHR有着更广阔的愿景, which is already helping many students succeed in preparing for careers in health care.

格雷罗说:“我们需要加大招聘和推广力度。. “我们很乐意举办STAHR日——让学生来了解我们的每个项目. We’d like to recruit more economic or educationally disadvantaged students and just share our story, the benefits of a mentorship program and the success of the students in our program and their sense of belonging.”

马莫就是其中一个成功的例子. He said the Ambassadors program has helped him through the rigors of pharmacy school in part by fostering a better relationship with faculty members and peers that may not have occurred otherwise.

“I would tell students that you should join STAHR to further enhance your experience within your program,他说. “The STAHR program is led by many supportive and uplifting people who are here to guide you in utilizing your resources and to succeed in your profession. You grow through the support of all the faculty and professionals who contribute to STAHR and interactions with students in other health professions.”

格雷罗承认STAHR的发展让他和他的员工感到疲惫. 但他说，付出的努力是值得的.

“有时候，它把我们逼到了极限，”他说. “但我回到我们的学生需要它. They’re going to grow and learn more when we can make the experience as individualized as possible, 但也要迎合他们的需求.”

Gomez said the STAHR program is making it possible for young people who are passionate about becoming a physician like her to attain that dream.

“The STAHR program creates a community of people who support us and help us throughout our challenges, 哪一点对我们的成功非常重要,”她说。.