Baptist offering scholarships, mentoring for Black students
“After Saturday’s event, students will continue to get assistance through monthly mentoring and educational opportunities with Baptist Health Sciences University as well as qualify for $1,000 scholarships.”
Kim Alexander spokesperson
As efforts continue nationwide and in the Mid-south to encourage more people of color to pursue careers in medicine, the Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation is hosting Black Men in White Coats: Building Diverse Health Care Professionals Virtual Summit.
The hospital system is hosting the free, virtual event Saturday for Black and minority high school and college students in Memphis interested in pursuing careers in medicine, allowing them to virtually network with medical professionals and potentially qualify for scholarships, spokesperson Kim Alexander said. The registration deadline was Friday.
Attendees will also view the “Black Men in White Coats” documentary, created by the organization of the same name, which was founded by Dr. Dale Okorodudu to encourage more Black men to pursue medicine.
Okorodudu will participate in a panel discussion with other healthcare professionals after the film to discuss the issues covered in the film, which examines why fewer men of color are enrolling in and completing medical school, why that is and how it impacts the health of minority communities.
According to the organization, only 4% of all doctors in the U.S. are Black.
“After Saturday’s event, students will continue to get assistance through monthly mentoring and educational opportunities with Baptist Health Sciences University as well as qualify for $1,000 scholarships,” Alexander said.
Six scholarships will be awarded in April.
Statewide push for more Black doctors
Baptist’s event comes amid local and nationwide conversations about how to increase the number of Black doctors and medical professionals and other strategies for improving healthcare outcomes among minority populations.
In December, Nashville’s Meharry Medical College announced a partnership with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, the University of Memphis and Church Health to expand access to education, training and research for Black medical students in Memphis and across the state.
“Now more than ever, Black communities around the nation, especially here in Tennessee, need greater access to preventative care and to providers that they know and trust — providers who look like them,” said James E.K. Hildreth Sr., president and CEO of Meharry in announcing the collaboration.
The program will create clinical trainings and clerkships for Meharry and U of M students and Methodist residents. U of M students will also be eligible for “direct and preferred” access to postgraduate medical and biomedical sciences programs at Meharry.
Also last year, Meharry announced a partnership with Tennessee State University to increase the number of Black physicians and dentists working in underserved communities and for the past three years Meharry has worked with Middle Tennessee State University to fast-track physicians to underserved rural communities.
Commercial Appeal reporter Laura Testino contributed to this report.
Corinne Kennedy covers economic development, soccer and COVID-19’S impact on hospitals for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.kennedy@commercialappeal.com or at 901-297-3245.