There is a national challenge to meet the increasing need for trained professional and technical individuals in biomedical and health related occupations. Disadvantaged students under-represented in biomedical careers, provide a large pool of available talent that can be recruited in both basic and medical sciences. Disadvantaged students' access to biomedical careers is often restricted by lack of knowledge of career paths and inadequate exposure to opportunities and role models. The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University (MCPHU) has addressed this challenge by developing an inclusive program called: PATHWAYS TO HEALTH CAREERS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. This initiative addresses the goal of increasing participation of disadvantaged groups in medicine and biomedical sciences. MCPHU provides an inclusive professional community where students can develop the skills and self-confidence required for professional success. This initiative extends to helping science teachers of these students be better prepared and use innovative educational techniques such as Problem Based Learning. This initiative currently targets four groups of students in addition to Philadelphia area teachers: 1) local middle school students, 2) local high school students, 3) undergraduate college students and 4) pre-matriculates into medical school. This proposal specifically addresses MCPHU's Research Program for Teachers and Disadvantaged High School Students. The goal of this program is to provide high school students with the tools required to gain access to a professional school through scientific research and to give teachers the tools to understand scientific research and impart this understanding to their students during the academic years. Hands-on laboratory research in basic science laboratories is combined with techniques of problem based learning in a summer and academic year program. The proposed program targets teachers and high school students which have been continuously involved in MCPHU programs and in addition to teachers and students from the greater Philadelphia area school system. This program continues a long tradition of support for disadvantaged populations in medicine and the basic sciences by the Medical School of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University.
