Premedical and predental enrichment program for minority students, 1969-1996, at Meharry Medical College.

From 1969 through 1996, Meharry Medical College offered the Biomedical Sciences Program, an eight-week summer premedical and predental enrichment program designed to increase the enrollment of minority students in health professions schools. The program focused on preparing undergraduates to pursue health professions careers by providing specially designed courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and scientific communications, as well as interactions with clinical faculty. The curriculum emphasized academic preparation, including structured course work in the classroom, assigned homework every night, and scheduled activities with clinicians. (The program merged with two other outreach programs in 1996 and is now part of the Health Careers Opportunity Pre-Baccalaureate Program.) From 1969 to 1996, 1,015 students participated in the program, and over the years 43% of them responded to tracking surveys. Of these 445 respondents, 70% (310) applied to professional schools, of whom 83% (257) applied to medical, 15% (46) to dental, and 2% (10) to graduate schools. Of the 257 who applied to medical schools, 70% (198) were admitted and all of them graduated. Of the 46 who applied to dental schools, all were admitted and graduated; and of the ten who applied to graduate schools, all were accepted and received PhD degrees in the biomedical sciences. Of particular note, 67% (172) of the applicants who were admitted to professional schools matriculated at Meharry Medical College. These data suggest that the Biomedical Sciences Program used effective strategies that increased the number of underrepresented-minority students entering health professions careers.