About

In the light of COVID-19 and the #BLM movement during the spring of 2020, we, medical students, felt called to action. We started the planning and development of a mentorship program for students who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color aimed at increasing diversity in medicine. Anchorage is one of the most diverse cities in America and even has the most diverse high school in the country. In spite of this, there is still a disappointing lack of diversity in its medical community, particularly doctors.

The Alaska Pre-Medical URiM Mentorship Program is a student-led organization at the University of Washington School of Medicine - Alaska Site. It is the first-ever mentorship program by Alaskan medical students dedicated to Alaskan students who are underrepresented and interested in medicine. Mentors are local community physicians who enjoy engaging with students and are committed to community outreach.

We want to make the journey to being a doctor more accessible for underrepresented students and we hope that this will be a step forward to changing the culture of medicine in Alaska.

Mentees will fill out an application form and will be paired with a mentor who closely matches their preferences and interests. Mentee and mentors will independently arrange times to meet regularly until the end of the program. At the end of the program, mentees will be asked to fill out an end-of-program evaluation survey for feedback and for describing what they have gained from the program and future plans.

Program Length: November until the end of the school year