An astounding change
Minority Introduction to the Health Sciences introduces high school students to health careers
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| MITHS students, tutors, and selection committee members celebrate the program's success at a reception held July 15, 1999, in Wong Kerlee International Conference Center. |
On June 27, 1999, a new program was launched on the Loma Linda University campus. Fifteen high school students came on campus for a challenging three-week summer program designed to introduce high school students to careers in the health sciences.
The Minority Introduction to the Health Sciences (MITHS) program, a joint effort and vision of the Black Alumni of Loma Linda and La Sierra Universities (BALL) and the School of Medicine, targets Adventist Black high school juniors with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher and high academic performance in science and health courses.
The program was designed to give students an opportunity to experience what it is like to study at the university level.
"Because Loma Linda does not have an introductory program for students at a lower level than college," reflects Leroy A. Reese, MD, associate dean, School of Medicine, Los Angeles campus and MITHS coordinator, "the MITHS committee felt it would be beneficial to try to increase the pool of candidates for the various programs at LLU by bringing high school students onto the campus. Then, we could not only introduce them to the types of programs offered, but also enhance their scholastic abilities and make them even more valuable as professionals in the future."
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| MITHS students and Brian S. Bull, MD, dean, School of Medicine, pose after the School's career presentation in the cafeteria. |
The MITHS committee is made up of progressive and educationally minded professionals who have a vision for trying to improve the success of Black young people. In planning the program, they wanted the students to be exposed to various phases of a preparatory educational enhancement experience.
The students' day started at 8:30 a.m. with precalculus. The Teaching Learning Center customized a curriculum for the MITHS students and it covered such topics as speed-reading and comprehension, skillful note-taking, stress management, and effective writing.
On one measure of their performance, MITHS students dramatically improved their average reading speed from 247 words per minute to an astounding 2,912 words per minute.
The students' last class of the day was anatomy and physiology with lab time.
"All of the professors were extremely impressed with the caliber of the students and the opportunities the program gave them," states Dr. Reese. "One parent wrote us almost immediately stating that she and her husband could tell after just a couple of hours of conversation with their child that there had been a change in her thinking and her approach to things, and that their child had benefited greatly from the program. That was very gratifying.
"Our hope is that each of the schools, which can benefit from such a progran by increasing their minority pool, will choose to comtribute."
Sixteen students have been selected to attend the MITHS 2000 program which takes place from July 10 to 28.