Emory University School of Medicine, accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), is an eligible applicant located in the Department of Health and Human Services Region 4, in the state of Georgia. The overall purpose of the National HCOP Academies is to assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter and successfully complete health profession schools and receive a health professions degree or certificate. In order to recruit and retain individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health professions, we propose providing high school, allied health professional, non-traditional learners (including veterans), undergraduate, and health professions students with a comprehensive “high school to health profession school” pipeline program. The National HCOP Academy at Emory will consist of three structured programs: 1) The HCOP National Ambassadors Program; 2) The HealthPREP structured summer program; and 3) The AMSC HCOP Excellence program. The Academy at Emory will also offer unstructured activities. Successful progression through the programs, including increasing academic achievement, improving college/health career readiness, strengthening social support, and broadening student awareness of pathways to health professions will determine interim success. The numbers of Academy students who are admitted to, enrolled in, and graduate from college and health professions school will be the ultimate determinant of success. In alignment with the goals of the National HCOP Academies goals, there are six objectives set forth by the National HCOP Academy at Emory: 1) Recruit and retain high school, non-traditional, allied health, undergraduate, and health profession students from disadvantaged backgrounds for an educational program that prepares participants for entry into health or allied health professions; 2) Improve college and/or health career readiness (focusing on skills, knowledge, attitudes, deliverable
s) of students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health and allied health professions; 3) Strengthen social support with structured mentoring relationships, parental education, and well-being activities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health and allied health professions; 4) Broaden awareness of pathways into health and allied health professions and increase health career self-efficacy for students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health and allied health professions; 5) Facilitate primary care exposure and training activities in medically underserved communities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health and allied health professions; and 6) Facilitate health research training activities and experiences in health equity, health disparities, and social determinants of health to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in health and allied health professions. Funding for the Academy will create a comprehensive continuum of learning, mentoring, college/health career readiness, and health profession exposure activities. Additional experiences include simulated clinical experiences, shadowing opportunities, parental education, and service learning. Mental Health, Health Equity, the Social Determinants of Health, and stress strategies for students, will be focal topics threaded throughout the HCOP National Academy at Emory curricula. Key personnel at Emory University School of Medicine and partner institutions will lead these activities on the campus on Emory University and Atlanta Metropolitan State College. The National HCOP Academy at Emory is requesting consideration for statutory funding preference for utilizing a comprehensive approach to increasing the number of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in health professions. The National HCOP Academy at Emory is a collaborative partnership between Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Metro
politan State College