This fall, UNMC’s incoming College of Medicine class had nine underrepresented minorities, representing a breakthrough and promise for future diversity growth.
“We’re thrilled these students chose UNMC to pursue their medical education and believe many more underrepresented minorities will follow as we continue to recruit and publicize our programs,” said Mary McNamee, Ph.D., assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of the Office of Student Equity and Multicultural Affairs.
The increase in the number of underrepresented/disadvantaged students is due to the collaborative work of many individuals at UNMC, Dr. McNamee said, as well as a planned multifaceted recruitment strategy focused on early identification, regular contact and demonstrated personal interest in prospective students.
Almost half of the underrepresented minority students in the fall 2006 College of Medicine class were recruited as high school seniors and mentored through their undergraduate coursework via NU-PATHS, a collaborative program developed with the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Others were recruited to the UNMC College of Medicine after participating in summer research experiences where they were mentored by medical center investigators or were recruited through national recruitment activities.
In 2001, UNMC began a unique recruitment strategy of affiliating with minority-serving institutions to better attract students to Nebraska and UNMC. Today, UNMC has affiliations with such minority-serving institutions as Dillard University, New Orleans; Hampton University, Hampton, Va.; Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Va.; St. Paul’s College, Lawrenceville, Va.; Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.; Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.; J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Va.; University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Pine Bluff, Ark.; and Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colo.
“The awareness of, and exposure to, UNMC and the College of Medicine will be enhanced through relationships developed with the faculty and students at these institutions,” Dr. McNamee said. “That will result in a pipeline of talented students choosing to further their education at UNMC.”