BMWC Youth Summit to Fruition

Changing the vernacular from “I want to be …” to “I am going to be …” is a first step on a journey of becoming a physician according to WellSpan Vice President and CMO, Women & Children, Carlos Roberts, MD, at a summit to guide and inspire diverse high school students toward a future profession in medicine.

Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society shared in an exciting partnership with WellSpan Health to bring a Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit to William Penn High School, York, in March.

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“It was an exceptional day. We filled a room with physicians and healthcare professionals from historically underrepresented groups so that students holding those same racial and ethnicity identities could be inspired to consider a career in medicine,” says Karla Tolan, manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for WellSpan Health. “More than 150 students, parents and caregivers, and 77 volunteers, participated in WellSpan’s inaugural event, a fantastic turnout for the first year!”

The genesis of the Black Men in White Coats campaign started in 2013 with the aim of increasing the number of black men pursuing careers in the medical industry. This initiative was founded by Dr. Dale Okorodudu in response to an AAMC report highlighting the decreasing number of black male applicants to medical school. The summits invite students, parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders together to “uplift our communities. The goal of the summits is to inspire our youth to consider careers in healthcare while laying the foundation for success via mentorship and networking,” according to its website.

Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Executive Director Heather Wilson says that establishing a support system to strengthen the diversity of physicians is a goal of the non-profit’s scholarship programs. “We strive to gain more students who authentically look, speak, and understand the communities they will serve,” she says. In the last five years, the foundation added additional scholarships to advance the commitment to include more diverse cultural composition of the medical school student body.

“Registrants for the day-long healthcare career exploration program represented 50 different high schools and seven states –some rising early to travel together by bus to hear from WellSpan’s expert physicians and medical professionals, who live and work in the region and represent racially diverse identities and lived experiences, through keynote presentations, Q&A panels, and breakout sessions,” says Tolan. “One physician told us that the first time he saw another black doctor was in medical school, so this shortens that timeline exceptionally for many kids.”

Keynote speaker Russell Ledet, MD, PhD, MBA, Indiana University School of Medicine Triple Board Resident Pediatrics/ Psychiatry/Child Psychiatry, entered the stage with a white coat, basketball sneakers and a baseball hat. His indelible stage presence served to encourage students. He said that even though he came from humble beginnings, his hard work, mentorship, and passion launched him into a successful medical career. When he realized what he was capable of he pursued it. Currently he has eight letters behind his name emblazoned on his white coat.

Breakout session facilitator Raymond C. Truex, Jr., MD, FACS, FAANS, medical director, Physicians’ Health Program, Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, volunteered to participate in breakout segments on bleeding control and mental health self-care, for practical student experiences during the day. “The students heard in the summit that the pursuit of medicine is challenging on all levels. Although they can achieve their goals, it is not without a great deal of discipline and hard work.”

Dr. Truex says the students were counseled on the importance of caring for themselves and recognizing stress indicators in their friends and classmates. They learned about resources and how students can find help. “Medicine is a shared experience and mentors are here to help each and every one of these attendees,” he says.

Foundation Board Member Lynda Thomas-Mabine, MD, FCPP, Division Chief of Gynecology at Chestnut Hill Hospital and Section Chief for Robotic Surgery at Temple Health, travelled from Philadelphia accompanied by members of Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania to participate in this historic summit.

Dr. Thomas-Mabine said, “The successful event can be replicated in other areas to harness the momentum and provide shadowing opportunities. We have brought together these role models to mentor these bright students so that they can envision a successful career in medicine.”

Tolan agrees. “It was a great day that culminated in a call and response. The kids roared into the chant, ‘I can do anything! I can pursue anything!’”

The mission of the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society is to provide programs and services for individual physicians and others that improve the well-being of Pennsylvanians and sustain the future of medicine.