OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT

As part of a $3.5 million grant awarded in September 2022 from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Centers for Excellence, OSU Center for Health Sciences is working to recruit and prepare Native American students to enter medical school.

The five-year grant is being used to create a Native American Primary Care Center for Excellence. The funds are being used to develop Native Pathways, which takes students from high school and undergraduate studies to medical school utilizing new and existing recruitment events and preadmissions workshops specifically for American Indian students.

The grant will also provide scholarships and resources for American Indian medical students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty.

“Less than 0.2 percent of physicians are Native American in the United States, even less in STEM careers. If students can see someone like themselves in medicine, and a pathway, they can create a vision for themselves in the future,” said Kent Smith, Ph.D., associate dean of the Office of American Indians in Medicine and Science at OSU-CHS.

In November 2022, Google donated $250,000 to Oklahoma State University for primary and secondary STEM outreach programs. Half of the donation went to OSU-CHS’ elementary through high school outreach programs that are designed to spark interest in medicine and health sciences in children and teens.

OSU-CHS hosts several outreach events each year including Operation Orange, Pre-Health Round Up, Dr. Pete’s Immersion Camp, Way Cool Science and Teddy Bear Clinics — all aimed at getting students, especially those in rural and underserved communities, to explore the possibility of careers in medicine and health professions.

“The goal of all our programs is to introduce students to the many options available to them in the field of health care,” said OSU-CHS Outreach Managing Director Bria Taylor. “I cannot thank Google enough for this amazing gift. It will truly change lives as we tap the potential of future medical professionals, who will in turn improve the lives of those in their community.”