The Cancer Education program of the MSM/TU/UAB Cancer Partnership seeks to introduce minority students at the undergraduate level to cancer research, including research on cancer disparities, via training, mentoring, and coursework. Its goal is to increase the number of minority scientists directing funded cancer research by facilitating the entry of more TU undergraduates into career paths that lead to cancer research The two major thrusts of the Cancer Education program are: 1) Cancer Partnership Internships which will provide extensive training and mentoring to a small group of selected undergraduates, and 2) A new Health Disparities course that will be open to advanced undergraduates and graduate students as well as other future health professionals and researchers. The twelve TU juniors (three/year) selected as Cancer Partnership Interns on the basis of potential for research success will participate in two years of special activities that include a seven-week cancer research internship at a Partnership institution (DAB or MSM), presentation of research results, attendance at a national cancer research meeting, Cancer Journal Club, a hands-on health disparities project, preparation for the GRE/MCAT, and structured mentoring for the transition to graduate study. The proposed Health Disparities course, with emphasis on cancer and bioethics, has been developed recently and will be offered at TU with review, recommendations, and guest lecturing by UAB and MSM investigators. The course will be required of Cancer Partnership Interns, but will be open to other students as well. The purpose of the course is to motivate and equip students to pursue careers that address cancer and other health disparities by expanding participants'knowledge of disparities data, issues, and research strategies.
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