WASHINGTON, D.C./FORT WORTH, TX, August 13, 2015—The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) is collaborating with Artemis Medical Society to establish an afterschool program for students in grades 4 through 8. The program will utilize facilitators established through the Artemis Medical Society network to implement the AAMC’s Pre-Med Club curriculum and lesson plans. Building on the importance of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in today’s education system, the program is intended to inspire students from communities historically underrepresented in medicine to pursue careers as physicians.
“An early interest in medicine often begins in the classroom, and this program will allow the AAMC to reach the youngest generation of tomorrow’s doctors and help them realize that a future as a physician is possible,” said AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, MD. “As the nation faces a projected doctor shortage, efforts to foster diversity in the physician workforce are imperative. We are pleased to collaborate with Artemis Medical Society to bring the Pre-Med Club lesson plans to life for students in under-resourced communities through this unique program.”
“Artemis Medical Society is honored to collaborate with the Association of American Medical Colleges on this crucial STEAM program, and we understand how important it is to have programs in our schools that will encourage all students to pursue careers in medicine,” said Artemis Medical Society President Myiesha Taylor, MD, FACEP. “The first step in encouraging more students to pursue careers in medicine is to bring physicians from the Artemis network and programming like Pre-Med Club into schools to inspire students to become physicians. The time has come to add another M, for medicine, to the STEM/STEAM movement.”
As an organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the physician workforce and diminishing disparities in the delivery of health care, Artemis Medical Society received national recognition for its “We Are Doc McStuffins” social media campaign to raise the profile of diverse female physicians. The campaign was inspired by Disney Junior’s “Doc McStuffins” character.
As part of this collaboration, the Pre-Med Club will be piloted in three to five school districts across the nation beginning in the fall of 2015. Using curriculum and lesson plans developed by the AAMC, Artemis Medical Society will provide its network of physicians to support the school-based clubs by serving as guest speakers and working with teachers to ensure they have the materials and specialists needed to implement the monthly lesson plans.
For more information about the Pre-Med Club, visit www.aamc.org/premedclub.
About the AAMC
The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) is a not-for-profit association representing all 144 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 148,000 faculty members, 83,000 medical students, and 115,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.
About Artemis Medical Society
Artemis Medical Society helps promote an environment in medicine where women of color from around the world can come together to support and learn from each other across all medical specialties. Since its formation, the organization has worked diligently to create a supportive environment by fostering a strong sense of community among its membership. Artemis Medical Society believes women physicians of color are a vital part of an effective physician workforce that is responsive to and aims to deliver quality health care to increasingly diverse communities. Through mentoring, networking, and advocacy, the organization is providing the foundation necessary to create a diverse physician workforce vital to a rapidly changing society. For more information, visit www.artemismedicalsociety.org.
Brooke Bergen, AAMC
(202) 828-0419, firstname.lastname@example.org
Malizy Scruggs, Artemis Medical Society
(469) 226-7131, email@example.com