The Division of International Health of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai created the International Exchange Program for Minority Students. Funded since 2005, the goal is to offer minority students a challenging research training opportunity that validates students' cultural and linguistic abilities while at the same time provides close mentorship and supportive career guidance. In this iteration of the program, there will be some enhancements: 1) eligible students will be at the pre-graduate, graduate and post-graduate levels with commitment to research careers, 2) more intensive and systematic career development program, 3) large pool of research mentors at international partner institutions in low and middle income countries in Latin America, 4) US-based mentored research training sites, 5) research topics that are focused on health disparities, minority health, and related fields.
Specific aims are: 1: To offer an intensive and individualized pre-research training program that prepares students for success in their mentored research appointments. 2: To provide a robust mentored research training experience for students that is productive and beneficial for both students and mentors. 3: To integrate students' research experience into the students' career development program after they have completed their research training. Since its inception, the Mount Sinai program has undergone rigorous evaluation. As a result of this evaluation, the program implemented improvements that have made it very successful as measured by: ? Of the 140 students selected so far, 137 satisfactorily completed the program, 133 of them continue in contact with their program peers, their international mentor and/or the program director; ? 40 peer-reviewed research articles have been co-authored by students with their international mentors; ? 41 papers presented by students and mentors at international conferences; ? Students received prestigious awards, including Fulbright, Fogarty, Luce and Marshall scholarships; ? 98% of the students and 96% of the mentors express a high level of satisfaction with the program. ? 97 of them are currently in research careers. In addition to the students' successes, the program itself has achieved several milestones, including: 1) published a scholarly analysis of the program; 2) offered additional research, teaching and training opportunities for alumni; 3) received awards and recognition for the program. Future directions are: 1) a more focused research theme on health disparities, 2) improve retention of alumni through leveraging with other training programs, 3) utilize a career goal-setting approach to mentoring. These enhancements will significantly improve students' transition to independent research careers at US institutions.

Public Health Relevance

Health disparities can be reduced by increasing the numbers and quality of training for minority students. This proposal requests the continuation of a program that provides mentored research training opportunities for minority students at international and domestic sites focused on health disparities research. The program has experienced great success in student retention in research careers and publication of scientific research.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Type
Minority International Research Training Grants (FIC) (T37)
Project #
5T37MD001452-17
Application #
10082303
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMD1)
Program Officer
Berzon, Richard
Project Start
2005-07-08
Project End
2023-12-31
Budget Start
2021-01-01
Budget End
2021-12-31
Support Year
17
Fiscal Year
2021
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
078861598
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10029
McGee, Sasha A; Claudio, Luz (2018) Nativity as a Determinant of Health Disparities Among Children. J Immigr Minor Health 20:517-528
Quiller, Grant; Mérida-Ortega, Ángel; Rothenberg, Stephen J et al. (2018) Dietary flavonoids improve urinary arsenic elimination among Mexican women. Nutr Res 55:65-71
Fontes Marx, Mayara; London, Leslie; Müller, Alex (2018) Missing knowledge of gendered power relations among non-governmental organisations doing right to health work: a case study from South Africa. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 18:33
Martin, Marlene (2018) Crossing Borders. N Engl J Med 379:906-907
Herrera, Aubrey V; Benjet, Corina; Méndez, Enrique et al. (2017) How Mental Health Interviews Conducted Alone, in the Presence of an Adult, a Child or Both Affects Adolescents' Reporting of Psychological Symptoms and Risky Behaviors. J Youth Adolesc 46:417-428
Cárceles-Álvarez, Alberto; Ortega-García, Juan A; López-Hernández, Fernando A et al. (2017) Spatial clustering of childhood leukaemia with the integration of the Paediatric Environmental History. Environ Res 156:605-612
Villalona, Seiichi; Glover-López, Guillermo; Ortega-García, Juan Antonio et al. (2017) R248G cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutation in three siblings presenting with recurrent acute pancreatitis and reproductive issues: a case series. J Med Case Rep 11:42
Pumarega, José; Larrea, Cristina; Muñoz, Araceli et al. (2017) Citizens' perceptions of the presence and health risks of synthetic chemicals in food: results of an online survey in Spain. Gac Sanit 31:371-381
Gichane, Margaret W; Heap, Marion; Fontes, Mayara et al. (2017) ""They must understand we are people"": Pregnancy and maternity service use among signing Deaf women in Cape Town. Disabil Health J 10:434-439
Lett, Lanair A; Stingone, Jeanette A; Claudio, Luz (2017) The Combined Influence of Air Pollution and Home Learning Environment on Early Cognitive Skills in Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14:

Showing the most recent 10 out of 42 publications