The Health Equity Scholars Program (HESP), which is part of the Center for Health Equity Intervention Research (CHEIR), jointly run by the University of Massachusetts Boston and University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, has extended its application deadline until 5 p.m. on April 14th.
The program works with racially and ethnically diverse low-income or first-generation students. CHEIR specifically focuses on students who are underrepresented in career and graduate school programs like medicine, nursing, and health sciences research. Black, African American, Hispanic, Native American, Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese, and other minorities are included.
Students who are accepted will spend a full day at UMass Medical School on June 11th, 2015 and take a three-credit course on health disparities research skills in the Spring 2016 Semester at UMass Boston.
Accepted students will also perform health disparities research in an optional paid summer internship during Summer 2016. The internship will be 12 to 40 hours per week.
HESP has so far had 42 participants in three cohorts. Most of them have graduated, except 15 who will continue on with the program with newly accepted applicants. HESP is hoping to accept 12-15 students per year. Enrolled students come from various backgrounds: psychology, anthropology, nursing, health sciences, biochemistry, sociology, and Latino studies.
Students who have a minimum 2.5 GPA and have at least 24 college credits are strongly recommended to apply to HESP during the summer each year.
HESP students must take a required class that is part of health equity. The most commonly recommended course is Introduction to Health Disparities, run by UMass Boston’s Department of Anthropology, and to also do a day at UMass Medical School during the summer. Additionally, there are two seminars per semester that focus on topics related to career and research opportunities. Funding for summer research with UMass Boston faculty on health equity projects is available.
Peer mentoring plays a large role in that HESP students from different years stay together until graduation. This is also done to have career guidance and connections to research projects. Additional help is provided to assist students who are preparing for graduate programs in related fields at UMass Medical School.
Applicants can get more information as to whether they qualify by going to My Career Online – Resource Library and looking at the “HESP eligibility information for applicants” document in the HEALTH Equity Scholars Program folder.
If students qualify, they should download and fill out the 2015 HESP application and recommendation forms.
For more information contact Diedra M. Wrighting at [email protected] or at (617)-287-6082.