Empowering and Mentoring in Medicine: Inspiring the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals

This month, the fifth annual Empowering and Mentoring in Medicine summer internship program came to a close. For this cohort, we accepted 14 high school students who dedicated 6 weeks of their summer to immersing themselves in the world of healthcare.

In this joint effort from Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center and Jericho Road Community Health Center, supported by the Mayor’s Summer Youth Program, students had the opportunity to learn more about different healthcare careers including but not limited to dentistry, phlebotomy, nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, and medical assisting. Our students also got to spend a significant portion of the program at Jericho Road clinics, shadowing doctors, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals. Additionally, each student was paired with a peer mentor, who could share their knowledge and experience of getting into medical school.

Students began the program by creating vision boards of their goals for the next few years. They then got to tour and view demonstrations at University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, and D’Youville University’s simulation lab. With help from Dumas R.I.S.E. and Renovated Soul MFT, students learned about the importance of mental health and selfcare and got to participate in enrichments such as yoga and Zumba. Our students also received training in CPR and First Aid. Nearing the end of the program, they went through their shadowing rotations with Jericho Road and were given time to have group discussions to debrief on their experiences.

We finished out the program with a graduation ceremony, where the students gave presentations to family, friends, and community partners to share what they learned this summer and how this program has helped them build a path to accomplishing their goals.

To conclude the ceremony, the students got white-coated, signifying their commitment to pursuing a career in healthcare. Each student was joined on stage by an important figure in their life, allowing them to show their enthusiastic support for their student’s future as a healthcare professional.

Thank you to all our funders and community partners who made this program possible!

To our EMIM interns Daijha and Nicole: Thank you for all the hard work you put into helping these students. The time and effort you poured into helping this program run smoothly did not go unnoticed. We wish you the best of luck in furthering your education and we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish!

And finally, to Alyshaliz, Amanda, Arisha, Desmond, Intisar, Lilyonna, Marium, Mary, Mya, Rafiath, Ramisha, Shahidur, Yeasa, and Zahraa: You all showed limitless passion and dedication towards preparing yourselves for a career helping others and we couldn’t be prouder. You all have bright paths ahead and we can’t wait to see what your future holds!