Abstract P456: Expanding a Pipeline to Address San Joaquin Valley Health Inequity and Social Justice

Abstract

Introduction: San Joaquin Valley (SJV) is the most medically underserved California region. For the last 50 years, SJV continues to face health inequity with not enough physicians for growing communities. With a diverse community of low income and minority groups, the lack of physicians do not represent the workforce of SJV. Many of the talented high school and community college students who aspire to be physicians from SJV leave to bigger cities rather than coming back to enrich their vulnerable communities. Objectives: I created and expanded no cost pipeline medical programs (summer programs and online class) for SJV high school students and community college students to increase diversity in the medical profession, encourage underrepresented in medicine (URM) students to pursue medicine and come back to SJV to practice medicine in an effort to lower the patient provider gap. Methods: I trained and provided mentorship to medically ambitious low-income high school and community college students in the programs to instill a passion in them to come back after their medical education to practice medicine and lower health equity in SJV. Through the program, students learned about SJV health disparities and applied precision medicine to their own health inequity projects in SJV. Findings: -About 76% (106 of 140) of program participants identified as URM -About 63% (88 of 140) of program participants were first generation -About 83% (103 of 140) of program participants feel that the pipeline program has helped them solidify their passion in medicine -About 66% (92 of 140) of program participants aspire to practice medicine in SJV -About 100% (140 of 140) of program participants feel the program gave them guidance in health disparities, precision medicine, and applying design thinking concepts as a future leader in medicine Direct Outcomes: -Students were able to understanding community concerns beyond science and with a health justice perspective -Served as agents of change by directly communicating with physicians and understanding the need for more URM physicians -Students received mentorship and confidence to rise as URM first generation college students and pursue STEM majors -Youth learned the value of service to disadvantaged communities