The Medical Physician Preparation (MPP) Academy’s Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion & Community Partnerships (DEI & CP) is excited to offer a grant opportunity to partner college or university medical school’s Office of DEI or a medical school student organization on campus.

With the support of the NAPCA Foundation and the MPP Academy, an early outreach medical school preparation pipeline program, the MPP Academy’s Cultivating Diverse Physicians (CDP) Grant provides financial support in the form of a $625 grant award to plan and conduct a virtual or in-person ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ conference in the fall and spring. The free conference is an early outreach medical physician exploration event to attract students from diverse backgrounds to increase their interest in pursuing a career as a medical doctor or scientist. The program is facilitated by medical school students and a medical school faculty member.

The ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ conference is directed toward helping to achieve MPP Academy’s overarching goal, also known as Goal 2035, which is to increase the percentage of U.S. doctors and scientists who are underrepresented in the physician and healthcare workforce from the current rate of 11% to 20% by the year 2035.

Selected partner university or college medical school Offices of DEI or a medical school student organization on campus will each receive a $625 award to plan and conduct a virtual or in-person ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ conference in the fall and spring.

Honorariums will be distributed directly to medical school students and faculty who participate in specific roles during the conference. Grant funding can also be used to raffle gift cards for a number of students attending the event.

No grant funding will exchange hands. At the conclusion of an in-person conference, the Conference Coordinator will create a P.O. or invoice for gift card honorariums and submit it to the appropriate DEI medical school contact with a copy to the MPP Site Director:

(DEI leader or faculty advisor could solicit for breakfast or lunch donations from local community organizations.)

If the conference is virtual, the only cost will be Zoom, and MPP will cover those costs.

Here are the guidelines for the grant:

• The university or college’s Office of DEI will select a DEI leader or faculty advisor who will oversee the planning and implementation of the MPP Academy’s ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ Conferences in the fall and spring. Determination will be made regarding whether the events will be in-person or online as well as dates, times, and free facilities where the events will take place.
• The university or college’s Office of DEI contact will complete the ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ Conference Scheduling Form, notifying MPP of the dates, times, and facilities for the fall and spring conferences at least six weeks prior to the desired events. The form will determine whether the events are in-person or online as well as the name, title, email, and phone number of the DEI leader or faculty advisor who will oversee the MPP event.
• The appropriate Co-Director of University Partnerships will connect with the DEI leader or faculty advisor and inform the MPP Academy Site Director of the individual’s contact information and event dates. The Site Director will assist the conference contact as needed. The Co-Director of University Partnerships will offer direction as well if needed. MPP will provide technical assistance as well as general support as needed for the conferences.
• Determine pre-registration process for the 4th-12th grade and undergraduate students, parents, families, K-12th grade school classes, and youth organizations desiring to attend the conference.
• The conference can occur from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with the following scheduled activities (The order of the activities may vary):
  • Clinical Simulation Experience: 9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
    • Students will be exposed to the techniques of doctors and other medical professionals during a clinical simulation (If this is an in-person conference, the simulation may be conducted at the medical school’s simulation lab. In addition, medical school students can serve as the attendee and medical school trainee during the simulation. Another medical student would operate the simulation.). Each conference should focus on a different clinical simulation. Clinical simulation topics may include:
      • Assessment of Vital Signs
      • Identification of Lung Sounds
      • Cranial Nerve Assessment Including Pupillary Light Reflex
      • Acute Severe Asthma
      • Diabetes and Diabetic Ketoacidosis
      • Severe Allergic Reaction to Antibiotic
      • Seizure and Hypoglycemia
      • Heart Failure
      • Heart Attack
      • Visualization of Ear Anatomy
      • Wound Cleaning and Laceration Repair
  • Break: 9:45 a.m.-10 a.m.
  • Pre-College Anatomy & Physiology Seminar: 10:00 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
    • Students will participate in an engaging pre-college anatomy and physiology seminar taught by a university faculty from the medical school. This seminar will introduce students to one of the 12 systems of the body where they will learn interesting ways the human body works. Moreover, students will explore different types of doctors, the branch of medical practice they focus on, and how these specialties are connected to the systems of the human body.
  • Break: 10:50 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
  • Medical School Panel Discussion | Q&A Session: Preparing for Pre- Medical University Coursework & Medical School: 11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
    • If this is an in-person conference, participants will hear firsthand from 3 medical school students about their personal journey and why they chose to pursue a career in medicine. Participants will learn how they can begin preparing now as an elementary and secondary student for future pre-med university coursework and medical school.
  • MPP Academy Program Presentation: 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
    • The presentation will be given by the MPP Site Director (if the conference is an in-person event).
  • Gift Card Raffle for Students Attending the Conference: 12:00 p.m.-12:10 p.m.
  • Medical School Facilities Tour: 12:10 p.m.-12:30 p.m.
    • Tours will be offered by medical students who participated in the conference (if the conference is an in-person event).

The ‘So You Want to Be a Medical Doctor?’ conferences should benefit the medical school in a variety of ways:

• Offer a service to the 4th-12th grade and undergraduate students, parents, families, K-12th grade school classes, and youth organizations in the community surrounding the medical school.
• Attract elementary through high school students to become interested in medicine.
• Target students who might not have considered a career as a medical physician or are interested in pursuing a career in medicine or healthcare.
• Provide high-achieving students, as early as 4th grade, with early exposure to science as well as medicine, and promote further exploration, cultivation, and preparation for medical careers.
• Inspire disadvantaged, underrepresented, and minority students to participate in a medical pipeline program that prepares them with academic and social-emotional skills to succeed in pre-med or pre-health university coursework and be admitted to as well as successfully complete medical school to provide adequate care for their communities and the nation.
• The medical school students who help plan the conference and serve in specific roles during the conference will receive a $25 gift card as an honorarium and may apply for paid positions as mentors during MPP Academy’s Academic Year Program and/or the Summer Intensive Program.
• The conferences should increase the medical school’s visibility to the community.
• A medical school faculty member will serve as a speaker, and a $50 gift card will be provided by MPP as an honorarium.
• The MPP Site Director will promote the event with large, urban school districts surrounding the medical school.

The mission of the Office of CDP is to work with stakeholders to expand diverse student access across the nation for prerequisite education to successfully complete medical school, decrease the future doctor shortage, and ensure the physician workforce is more representative of the U.S. population.

If you have any questions, please contact us at (800) 799 – 4640 ext. 820.