# Presentation: 035239

## Pre-Doctoral Training Programs at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine: Enhancing the Pipeline and Retention of Excellent Under-Represented Minority StudentsTerry Ann Krulwich, C. Gita Bosch, Luz Claudio and Gary ButtsGraduate School of Biological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

- Mount Sinai School of Medicine has developed an array of on-campus programs that are designed to foster science interest and competence among URM high school students. These are overseen by the Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs and include: the Secondary Education Through Health program and a more targeted Mount Sinai Scholars program, both of which provide skills development, biomedical sciences enrichment, mentoring, and some opportunities for research experiences. In addition Mount Sinai provides curriculum support and development, teacher enrichment, and tutorial services for two public High Schools founded in collaboration with Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai's campus-based efforts to enhance the research interest and experience of talented URM undergraduates have developed in both a Graduate School-sponsored, school-wide program and in special-topic programs. Recent efforts by the Graduate School have successfully integrated elements of these programs in ways that strongly benefit the total effort.  In support of the URM students who enter PhD or MSTP training, mentoring, pacing and educational support modes are being explored to facilitate maximal success in challenging pre-doctoral programs. Among the central efforts is the more extensive use and refinement of a post-baccalaureate program which will provide optimal pacing for students whose commitment, sophistication or didactic background requires additional development for them to reach their potential within a pre-doctoral program.

## Gateway to Higher Education

***MSSM Gateway Schools**********
***(Grades 7 through 12)***
- The Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School
- The Mount Sinai Life Sciences Secondary School
***Successful Initiatives at the Schools***
- MSSM Basic Science Faculty lecture/conduct scientific demonstrations
- on-site curriculum and teacher development
- PhD and MSTP students tutor and mentor students
- Teaching and curriculum enrichment
- Teacher Summer Institute
- Lesson plan enrichment
***Planned for next year***
- Enrichment programs for the students in grades 9 through 12
- * Supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/Health Professions Partnership Initiative Grant
- In collaboration with the Gateway to Higher Education Program and the New York City Board of Education
- Overseen by the Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs

## Secondary Education Through Health (SETH)*

***Enrichment programs for High School students and teachers***
- Academic courses
- Tutoring
- Career counseling
- Summer Programs
- “Day with a Scientist”
- Intel Science Talent Search
- In cooperation with the Mount Sinai Center for Excellence in Youth Education and the New York City Board of Education
- * Overseen by the Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs

## Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)

## The Mount Sinai Short-Term Training Program for Minority Students

***Undergraduate Programs & Post-Baccalaureate Research Year**********
- 							_#__	__%_
- Total trained					24
- Currently in undergraduate training		03	12.5
- Currently in Graduate School			16	66.6
- Currently working in a research setting		03	12.5
-     (academic and industrial)
- Medical School					01	4.2
- Peace Corps					01	4.2

- In view of these outcomes, we have planned a more formal and extensive post-baccalaureate program.

## Mount Sinai Graduate School: Support and Retention

- Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs
- Peer Tutoring
- Optimization of curricular pacing

- Our efforts are now having an impact on our URM applicant and matriculant cohort:
- _	__	__	__	__1996__	__2001_
- PhD Applicants			12	32
- PhD Matriculants		02	06*
- % URM of total	enrolled		05	11
-  PhD students
- * Anticipated; numbers are finalized in the Fall.