Background: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is committed to diversifying the pediatric workforce, and to do so, this will require those under-represented medicine (URMs) to choose pediatrics as a career. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), URM in medicine means those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population. Concerns around the pediatric pipeline are prolific from primary care through subspecialty fields. The Committee on Pediatric Workforce (COPW) feels that this is a key issue to be considered by the AAP with the goal of creating a workforce that reflects the diversity of children cared for by US pediatricians. While interventions are needed at all levels of the pediatric pipeline, this program is focused on activities that occur earlier in the pipeline, such as medical school, undergraduate, high school, or even primary school.
Summary: Through mini-grants, medical schools or organizations working to improve the health careers pipeline will be given the opportunity to design and pilot test pipeline activities to help spur an interest in pediatrics. These activities could be for primary school, high school, undergraduate students or for medical students themselves.
Suggestions for opportunities/activities are listed below:
- Within an existing pipeline program host a meeting to discuss adding a pediatric component to the program.
- Create a pediatric presentation or hands-on activities/cases that can be implemented within a pipeline program.
- Invite pediatric/pediatric subspecialist speakers to attend a pipeline educational or networking event.
- Provide structured support (e.g., stipend, honorarium, networking) and recognition (e.g. awards, letters of participation) for pediatricians and pediatric specialists from URM backgrounds who often are expected to provide disproportionate and uncompensated mentoring to URM students.
- Assessment (needs-based or asset-based) of barriers and opportunities for local students interested in pediatrics.
- Programs or activities to address financial barriers (e.g., MCAT fees, medical school application fees, high school summer program fees) for youth identifying the goal of becoming pediatricians.
- Other creative ideas to inspire an interest in becoming a pediatrician or to overcome barriers to becoming a pediatrician in children and young adults.
Applicants are encouraged to include colleges or groups, such as Historically Black Medical Colleges or those with URM Centers of Excellence or Student National Medical Association, Latino Medical Student Association, or Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students chapters, etc. in your proposal. The selection committee will be judging applications in the following categories: demonstrate innovative and creative approaches; engagement of medical students and/or youth in the proposal development, program implementation, and evaluative processes; demonstrate potential for program sustainability beyond the funding period.
Medical schools or other organizations working to improve the health careers pipeline will have the opportunity to receive up to $3000. A committee of leaders from the AAP will review and award the grants. Grant funds must be used by May 31, 2021. Medical schools or organizations working to improve the health careers pipeline will be asked to submit an evaluation of the new activity, process and/or program by June 30, 2021 and to have a representative participate on up to three webinars/sharing sessions (kick-off, mid-point, wrap-up). An online evaluation form for the final report will be provided.
Goals:
- Increase the number of URM students who are involved in pipeline efforts.
- Promote pediatric careers within existing pipeline programs.
- Expose medical students/schools to the AAP and its resources/groups to help guide their medical careers and pipeline efforts.
- Increase the pipeline of URM students who are interested in a career in pediatrics (both general pediatrics and subspecialties).
Support for this initiative could provide:
- Stipend or expense reimbursement for youth or mentor participation
- Project staff salary/consultant fees
- Office expenses/supplies
- Meeting related expenses for educational events or community forums (eg. food/beverage, room rental, A/V etc)
- Travel to pipeline meetings and annual conferences for students, staff of pipeline programs, or pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists mentors
- Speaker fees for educational events
- Podcast/webinar technology fees
- Funds to youth to address specific financial barriers
Please note: Funds cannot be used to pay for lobbying, capital equipment, construction, indirect costs/overhead, alcohol.
Thank you to the Friends of Children Fund for supporting this effort.