SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Administered by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Welcome
Welcome to the Houston Methodist Summer Scholars Program, administered by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We are excited to offer this immersive and hands-on 10-week paid experience designed to broaden participants’ perspective of career possibilities in the health care industry.
During the program, participants will have the opportunity to explore health care leadership through the lens of talented professionals working in various departments across the Houston Methodist system. The program’s mission is to enhance participants’ professional development through mentorship and learning across Houston Methodist and to introduce them to the various fields that comprise the health care industry.
Program Overview
Scholars work with their leaders to gain experience in health care operations and explore career opportunities in the health care field. In addition to working in their assigned department, participants engage in professional development sessions designed to enhance their career readiness.
The program is coordinated with departments across Houston Methodist. Projects will vary based on each participant’s interests and their assigned department.
Leadership Message
“Our employees represent all walks of life, and our diversity helps create a rich exchange of ideas and knowledge that leads to the new and bold innovations and treatments that are at the heart of leading medicine. But being diverse isn’t enough. We must be equitable and inclusive. This means fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all. These goals can’t be met by one or two people. It’s going to take all of us moving in the same direction to get us there.”
Marc L. Boom, MD President and Chief Executive Officer
“At Houston Methodist, we are committed to providing, promoting and ensuring an environment that celebrates our diverse backgrounds and thoughts. When we continuously strive to build and maintain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, we will be better employees and team members, and our patients will receive the best care possible.”
Arianne Dowdell Vice President, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
“Diversity, equity and inclusion is a vital component of who we are. Our mission to ‘treat everyone as a person of sacred worth and value’ can only be achieved through creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture. We promote this culture by continually providing opportunities and resources to engage and encourage inclusion for traditionally underrepresented populations.”
Nazia Imrose Program Manager, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Program Benefits
Scholars have the opportunity to learn from experienced leaders across the system. Other benefits include:
The opportunity to meet and network with students from participating institutions.
One-on-one guidance from a health care leader throughout the program.
Ongoing personal and professional development.
Developing a professional network with leaders from across Houston Methodist.
This internship provided valuable networking opportunities and helped me acquire skills beneficial for my future. I learned about various research careers, their role in enhancing health care and their impact on communities facing health disparities. This experience allowed me to refine existing skills and develop new ones, such as effective communication and confidence in speaking up. I’ve been able to see how both medical and non-medical professionals enhance health care as a whole.
Dana Soruji, 2024 Scholar
Summer Scholars Program Requirements
The Summer Scholars Program is a need-based scholarship program designed for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in health care. Our goal is to provide exposure to career opportunities in health care to underrepresented students.
REQUIREMENTS
Currently enrolled rising junior or senior undergraduate student (at least 60 credit hours or more) at an accredited college or university.
3.0+
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (based on a 4.0 grading scale). Must be eligible for continued enrollment.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
500-word (max) letter of intent that includes:
• A personal statement of interest explaining why you chose Houston Methodist.
• Reason(s) for interest in specified health-related field.
• What you expect to gain from your scholarship experience and how you will apply it in your health care career
Résumé detailing the following:
• Extracurricular activities in which you participate, or organizations you belong to (church groups, athletics, school, community).
• Awards/honors you’ve received.
• Work or volunteer experience.
300-word statement of financial need that includes:
• How this scholarship will have an impact on your financial situation.
• Any supporting documents demonstrating financial need.
Transcripts and recommendations
• A copy of most recent unofficial academic transcript.
• Two completed recommendation forms. One must be academic (i.e. teacher or adviser); the other from an employer, counselor, or mentor who is not a relative.
• Letter of verification of current and future enrollment.
2025 Summer Program
• Accepting applications starting Nov. 22, 2024
• Application deadline: Jan. 1, 2025
• Program dates: May 27 – Aug. 1, 2025
2024 Participating Departments
Spiritual Care & Values Integration
This systemwide department works to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of all patients, family members, physicians, staff and volunteers at Houston Methodist.
Scholar Responsibilities: The scholar gained insight into the inner workings of the department through projects such as creating or enhancing virtual spiritual care resources for patients and staff, planning aspects of the annual recommitment to the I CARE values, and collaborating with other disciplines to develop new initiatives that enrich spiritual care
Corporate Supply Chain
This department is responsible for supporting hospital supply chain operations and hospital supply needs for our caregivers. It is comprised of Strategic Sourcing, Data Systems, Financial Operations, Pharmacy Contracting and the Supply Chain Project Management Office.
Scholar Responsibilities: The scholar assisted in projects, such as using supply chain and enterprises resource planning systems to execute, measure and enhance business processes.
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
The DEI team supports Houston Methodist’s commitment to providing, promoting and ensuring an environment that celebrates our diverse backgrounds, cultures, traditions and beliefs by offering DEI Learnings, supporting Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and the Health Equity Committee, and administering the Summer Scholars and Workforce Inclusivity Scholarship programs. The department supports the Greater Houston community through the DEI Grant Program, which funds community initiatives focused on addressing health care access inequities within racial, ethnic and social minority groups.
Scholar Responsibilities: Scholars worked on a variety of projects, including developing communications strategies.
Houston Methodist Academic Institute — Human Resources
Houston Methodist is an academic medical center that is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medical College and the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. The research and education programs at Houston Methodist are governed by the Academic Institute.
Scholar Responsibilities: The scholar contributed to many areas, including projects to upgrade the onboarding process and improve employee engagement.
Houston Methodist Hospital (TMC) — Human Resources Client Services
This department oversees several compliance responsibilities for Houston Methodist that fall primarily within the employee relations function at a policy and program level. Scholars receive exposure to the inner workings of a human resources department, including policies and procedures.
Scholar Responsibilities: Among the projects the scholar was assigned to was the collection and analysis of data from the employee survey portal to address specific questions emerging from the information.
Oncology Clinical Trials Office
The Oncology Clinical Trials Office at the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center is dedicated to advancing cancer care through innovative clinical trials. This office manages a broad range of cancer-specific trials, including those for brain, breast, gastrointestinal, liver, lung and many other types of cancer. The goal is to provide patients with access to cutting-edge treatments that have the potential to significantly impact cancer outcomes.
Scholar Responsibilities: Scholars gained experience in clinical trial management, learning about the impact of trials, regulatory and clinical oversight, and data capture requirements, all while contributing to the advancement of cancer care.
Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
The Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is nationally recognized for excellence in transplant care and offers exceptional care and support for organ and tissue transplants, as well as advanced organ failure management.
Scholar Responsibilities: The scholar was involved in developing a “Buddy System” designed to support transplant patients by pairing them with post-transplant patients who can offer guidance and reassurance during initial appointments. The scholar was also assigned to create and analyze heat maps to identify underserved areas with high populations of complex diseases. This will help to enhance the Center’s outreach, business development and educational efforts related to organ donation and transplantation.
Cancer Biology in Medicine
The Cancer Biology lab at the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center examines how certain biological processes affect the survival of a type of blood cancer called B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The lab explores new treatments by targeting specific pathways in the body that could help fight leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and creating new chemical compounds that could make these treatments more effective.
Scholar Responsibilities: The scholar helped investigate how these processes work in both healthy and cancerous cells and contribute to developing new treatments for these cancers that may lead to better cancer therapies and improve patient care..
Houston Methodist West — Finance Central Billing Office (CBO)
The Houston Methodist CBO handles billing and collections systemwide, managing electronic claims to insurers, patient accounts and financial assistance for uninsured or underinsured individuals. The office staff processes around $6 billion annually, utilizing advanced automation for most tasks, while focusing on exception resolution and workflow improvement.
Scholar Responsibilities: Scholars gained a comprehensive understanding of how the billing process works and the importance of time management and curiosity. This role offered valuable insights into the operations of a large-scale accounts receivable department and the intricate workings of hospital billing and collections.
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Rehabilitation Administration
Houston Methodist The Woodlands’ outpatient rehab center features advanced technology and a team of board-certified therapists.
Scholar Responsibilities: Scholars gained a comprehensive understanding of rehabilitation specialties, patient experiences across different settings and the benefits of rehab for diverse patient populations. They also acquired practical experience working with various rehab disciplines and learned about the patient transition process from hospital to outpatient rehab. This opportunity provided valuable mentorship in a collaborative health care environment while enhancing scholars’ professional skills and career development.
*The departments listed participated in the 2024 program. Department participation for 2025 is subject to change.
2024 Professional Development Sessions
Participants are provided with ongoing coaching and development throughout the program. Professional development workshops include topics such as:
DEI Day
Presented by the DEI Learning Team, scholars have the opportunity to participate in four DEI Learning Series courses: Managing Unconscious Bias, Recognizing the Impact of Microaggressions, Navigating Multigenerational Teams and Beyond Cultural Competency.
Networking 101 — Houston Methodist Administrative Fellows
Scholars can gain insight into networking and career building best practices from the Fellows in the Administrative Fellowship Program.
Showing Up
A conversation that uncovers what professional presence looks, feels and sounds like while remaining true to your authentic self.
Driving Your Career
A discussion on how to overcome hurdles to creating a career path and developing the skills to navigate professional challenges.
Intelligence Is Emotional
Examines the importance of emotional intelligence and its impact on leadership, communication, relationship building conflict resolution and decision-making.
Grow Where You’re Planted
The session features advice on how to make your presence known and ways to actively participate and engage, in addition to recognizing opportunities to collaborate with others.
Recognize Your Growth
Covers the importance of continuous personal growth and self-awareness throughout your career and tips on how to become a better public speaker.
Through the Recruitment Lens
An examination of key tips for constructing a resume, interview preparation and workplace etiquette.
Communicating With Impact
Presents advice on improving written and verbal communication skills and how to present yourself appropriately in a variety of workplace and life environments.
2024 Summer Scholars
Blessing Apkan
Houston Community College
Major: Nursing
Assigned Department: Spiritual Care & Values Integration
Elsa Kurji
Texas A&M University
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Assigned Department: Houston Methodist West Hospital Finance
Jaylon Looney University of Houston
Major: Biology and Spanish Assigned Department: Cancer Biology in Medicine
Faith Ncho University of Houston
Major: Psychology Assigned Department: Human Resources Client Services
Jael Ndungu
Sam Houston State University
Major: Nursing
Assigned Department: Houston
Methodist The Woodlands Hospital Rehabilitation Administration
Natalie Nguyen University of Houston
Major: English
Assigned Department: Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Jazmin Segovia University of Houston
Major: Strategic Communication Assigned Department: J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
Dana Soruji University of Houston
Major: Public Health Assigned Department: Oncology Clinical Trials
Najiha Zaman University of Houston
Major: Public Health Assigned Department: Corporate Supply Chain Asher Zeeshan University of Houston
Major: Public Health
Assigned Department: Houston Methodist Academic Institute Human Resources
The Houston Methodist DEI Summer Scholars program is built for success and allowed me to build invaluable skills and values that will lay the foundation for my future career.
–
Asher Zeeshan, 2024 Scholar
About the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Houston Methodist is committed to providing a culture of inclusive behavior that allows us to provide unparalleled, personalized care and service to a diverse population while ensuring dignity and respect for every patient, provider, colleague and our community.
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) supports this commitment by providing education and resources, including managing systemwide communications focused on DEI topics, events, programs and initiatives. The office frequently serves in an advisory capacity in the development of new and revised system policies, and is a key source of guidance for staff seeking cultural clarity, understanding and appreciation. We are also working to ensure health equity and equitable treatment for everyone across the Houston area.
The DEI Learning Team creates resources for all employees to learn and develop skills to discuss and understand anti-racism, anti-bias and diversity, equity and inclusion at Houston Methodist.
The DEI office charters employee resource groups (ERGs). These groups – created and led by employees – allow employees to come together around common interests, backgrounds or demographics. The goal of ERGs is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace.
What is DEI At Houston Methodist?
Diversity refers to the individual differences that make each person unique. This includes, but may not be limited to, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, social class, physical ability, religious or ethical values system, nationality or political beliefs. Diverse organizations feature workforces representing a wide range of these characteristics.
Equity recognizes that people do not all start from the same place and acknowledges the need to make adjustments to rectify imbalances in access caused by intentional and unintentional barriers. An equitable organization identifies and works to eliminate these barriers that may arise from bias, conscious and unconscious, and systemic structures.
Inclusion means embracing everyone’s differences, experiences and inherent worth and dignity and ensuring that their voices are heard. Inclusive organizations foster a culture that enables everyone to speak openly and honestly and bring their whole selves to work.
Houston Methodist comprises a leading academic medical center in the Texas Medical Center, six community hospitals and one long-term acute care hospital serving the Greater Houston area. Each hospital is staffed by committed personnel who exemplify our I CARE values: Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. Ensuring patient safety and providing the highest quality health care and service to the communities we serve are our highest priorities.
Houston Methodist Hospital, the system’s flagship, is consistently listed among U.S. News & World Report’s best hospitals, and we extend that same level of quality care across the system. Other available centers include Houston Methodist Emergency Care Centers; Houston Methodist Imaging Center; Houston Methodist Breast Care Center; and Houston Methodist Outpatient Center.
Houston Methodist Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide high-quality, cost-effective health care that delivers the best value to the people we serve in a spiritual environment of caring, in association with internationally recognized teaching and research.
Houston Methodist Vision Statement
People will see Houston Methodist as a globally recognized leader of pioneering medical expertise and innovative, personalized care.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Vision Statement
Houston Methodist will be known for having a culture of inclusive behavior that allows us to provide unparalleled, personalized care and service to a diverse patient population through effective teamwork, while ensuring dignity and respect for all.
Houston Methodist Hospital is a nationally ranked honor roll hospital.