6 minute read
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM
Rachel Boulay, PhD
Director for Research & Specialist boulay@hawaii.edu (808) 692-0986
Mission:
JABSOM’s mission is to educate its students to be high-quality physicians, biomedical scientists and/or allied health professionals. Our vision is to Maika‘i Loa: Attain Lasting Optimal Health for All (ALOHA). We encourage and support students to conduct research in biomedical and community health sciences with an aim to improve health outcomes,especiallyinheartdisease,diabetes,cancer, invitrofertilization, infectious diseases, mental health,respiratorydiseases,andneurodegenerativedisorders.Wewanttostimulate student interest early in pathwaysleading to biomedical and health science degrees and careers.
Examples of JABSOM’s Selected STEM Education Programs and Activities
We invest in the next generation of biomedical and clinical scientists. Our stem education projects can be grouped under 3 broad areas: research training programs for students, educational outreach programs for youth, and professional development for teachers. We provide a few illustrations of each below and encourage you to learn about all of our other work to encourage the health science pipeline.
1. ResearchTrainingPrograms
TheMinorityHealthInternationalResearchTraining(MHIRT)Programisbasedinthe Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology & Pharmacology which offers exciting opportunities for UH Mānoa students to perform research projects in international locations.
Other key research programs include: Hawai‘i’s statewide network of biomedical research excellence (INBRE), Pacific STEP-UP, Department of Native Hawaiian Health’s Summer Research Internship (SRI), and graduate student training in Cardiovascular Research.
2. Educational Outreach Programs for Youth
The Hawai‘i Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC), led by Dr. Kelley Withy, recently received three separate federal grants totaling about $5 million from individual departments within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). http://www.ahec.hawaii.edu
AHEC’s Hawai‘i Pre-Health Career Corps is a free yearround program for high school and college students who are interested in pursuing careers in health. Its purpose is to increase awareness about health careers, provide mentoring, shadowing and research experiences, and provideexposure to health careers. AHEC coordinates a speaker’s bureau, tours of JABSOM, Teen Health Camps, and more. The Department of Native Hawaiian Health offers key educational programs such as their Native Hawaiian Pathway to Medicine and Nānākuli Pathways to Health programs. They connect with communities and support students with mentoring, service-learning, and training. Their efforts enable Native Hawaiian students to succeed in health professions and their research division aims to eliminate health disparities among Native Hawaiians.
3. Professional Development for Teachers
Teachers in our Molecular Biology Professional Development Program make extra money during fall or summer break with paid stipends and travel assistance for neighbor islands. Teachers get access to online content materials, hands-onlab training, top biomedical and clinical scientists, and work with fellow science teachers. https://molecular-biology.coe.hawaii.edu/
Total Stem Enrollment Fall 2020: 116 STEM degrees awarded (2020-2021): 44
68.1% Female 9.7% Native Hawaiian Bachelor's 7 Masters 31 Doctorate 6
Total Stem Enrollment Fall 2021: 109
66.1% Female 8.2% Native Hawaiian (degrees data pending)
Hawai‘i/Pacific Basin AHEC
Kelley Withy, MD, PhD
AHEC Director withy@hawaii.edu (808) 692-1062
The purpose of the Hawai‘i/Pacific Basin AHEC is to improve the health of the underserved through education. There are four main activity areas:
1. EducatingandrecruitingstudentstohealthprofessionsfromK-12schools.
2. Educatinghealthprofessionsstudentsintheruralandunderservedcommunities of Hawai‘i, often in multi-professional teams.
3. Recruitinghealthcareprofessionalstoruralandunderservedareasandproviding continuing education.
4. Providing community-based and community-driven education for allunderserved groups in Hawai‘i.
Why we need you?
Hawai‘ihas a significant workforce shortage, mainly in primary care in rural areas. Rural areas need manymedical and surgical subspecialty physicians to care for the most ill and vulnerable patients.
These shortages permeate almost every area of the state. Based on the number of providers trained, it is estimated that all medical school training must triple to meet local primary care needs!
We need assistance in finding housing for clinical trainees and faculty to train our students and residents in rural areas, so that they want to return to work in those areas after training.
Planning for your future!
The Hawai‘i Pre-Health Career Corps is a free program for High School and Undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing or learning about careers in health.
This includes those who are interested in medicine, nursing, social work, physical therapy, speech pathology, public health, medical technology, EMT, veterinary science AND MUCH MORE!
Hawai‘iPre-HealthCareerCorps-Planningforyourfuture!
The benefits of becoming a Pre-Health Career Corps member
• Shadowing Healthcare Professionals • Participate in health-related workshops including CPR and HIPAA training • Visit the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine and other campuses • Gain valuable research experience • Receive FREE SAT test preparation, peer mentoring and help with the application process to health professions school • Receive a free Hawaii Health Career Navigator and Companion Guide • Gain Leadership and Mentoring Experience • ParticipateinTeenHealthCamp,funcareerorientationdaysandsummercamps • Receive counseling from Health Career and College Advisors • Receivetwice monthlyCorpse-Newsletterswithactivitiesandmember accomplishments • Celebrate accomplishments with a supportive group of peers!
Teen Health Camp
Teen Health Camps are day long activities for high school and college students to learn about health careers from health professions students. Participants get to practice suturingonfakearms,spreadinggermsandseeing wheretheygounderblacklamps, calculating calories in food and placing casts on each other. These camps are offered six times a year across the State and are free to students. ahec@hawaii.edu
Project ECHO
AHEC partners with the Hawaii State Rural Health Association to offer FREE case-based Behavioral Health and Pediatric interactive distance learning sessions at every lunchtime as part of the ECHO Hawaii program. Department of Geriatrics offers monthly case-based distance Geriatrics training on the second Wednesday of the month at noon. Information on both free offerings available at: http://echohawaii.org/
Brenda Wong
Office CME Manager brendaw@hawaii.edu (808) 692-0900
The Hawaii Consortium for CME’s (HCCME) mission is “to support delivery of the highest quality of patient care by educating current healthcare professionals and physician leaders in Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region”. A joint venture with the Hawaiʿ i Medical Association, HCCME is JABSOM’s provider of accredited continuing education required for the renewal of medical licenses.
HCCME facilitates JABSOM’s response through continuing education to issues such as the health and well-being of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and homeless communities; public health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, addiction and substance use disorders, melanoma and other cancers, treatment of HIV; and, most recently, the prevention and management of COVID in long-term care facilities.
HCCME was accredited with commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education in 2016. It provides JABSOM with a means of assuring that there is a continuum of medical education for its faculty, alumni and all physicians and healthcare professionals serving our community.
HCCME designates 20 to 25 activities annually. These include series such as ECHO, Department Grand Rounds, conferences, workshops, symposiums, lectures, summits, hands on learning opportunities, faculty development, courses in the simulation center and activities conducted in collaboration with the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Hawaii State Center for Nursing and the University of Hilo College of Pharmacy.
