GastroCares has developed an intensive internship and mentorship program in partnership with Capital Digestive Care for African American college students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s). The curriculum for these weeks includes exposure to an extensive range of experiences that comprise the essential elements of a Gastroenterology practice, including colon cancer screening, management of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal, upper intestinal, and liver disorders. Critical to this experience is a concomitant mentorship program.
GastroCares has developed a project to encourage high school students to pursue health care careers. This includes a partnership with a High School comprised of predominantly African American and LatinX students. Early exposure in high school allows for students to set a solid foundation in preparation for a career in medicine. Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers with hands-on experiences and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models. By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine and Gastroenterology is attainable.
We had stations focusing on “The tools of a Gastroenterology practice”: A Colonoscopy and Endoscopy station with scopes and video tower. Students engaged in a supervised, hands-on didactic where they held the endoscope and colonoscope and we demonstrated how to perform an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy procedure using rubber models of the stomach and colon. Through this, students will explore the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract and the importance of conducting these procedures and their particular significance for underserved minority communities.
Students were exposed to a Pathology station with microscope tower with slides and screen presentation with a GI pathologist and were exposed to gross specimens.
We had a focus on colon cancer which is more prevalent in the African American community and under screened in the African American and Latinx communities. We also reviewed slides demonstrating esophagitis from Gastroesophageal reflux disease, helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach (a condition more prevalent in the Latinx community) and bacteria that cause diarrhea. We had a stethoscope station focusing on the diagnostic capabilities available to GI doctors at the bedside. We focused on simple physical exam findings and the use of the stethoscope. We had a Panel discussion about diversity in medicine and issues regarding under-representation of African American and LatinX individuals in medicine, in general, and Gastroenterology, in particular.
GastroCares has developed an intensive internship and mentorship program in partnership with Capital Digestive Care for African American college students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s). The curriculum for these weeks includes exposure to an extensive range of experiences that comprise the essential elements of a Gastroenterology practice, including colon cancer screening, management of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, esophageal, upper intestinal, and liver disorders. Critical to this experience is a concomitant mentorship program.
GastroCares is committed to improving access to quality health care for racial and ethnic minorities that face greater barriers to care and receive lower quality healthcare than the general population. Access to care is limited by multiple factors including lack of awareness, insufficient insurance coverage, employment at jobs where time off to seek healthcare is uncompensated, and lower rates of referral by primary physicians. In order to facilitate access to care for minorities, GastroCares’ physician partners, Capital Digestive Care has offered screening colonoscopies to underserved minorities on a Saturday, with no cost to uninsured individuals.
GastroCares has developed a project to encourage high school students to pursue health care careers. This includes a partnership with a High School comprised of predominantly African American and LatinX students. Early exposure in high school allows for students to set a solid foundation in preparation for a career in medicine. Through this program, students are inspired to consider medical careers with hands-on experiences and didactic sessions with physicians who serve as tangible and positive role models. By virtue of this, students develop a concept that a career in medicine and Gastroenterology is attainable.
We had stations focusing on “The tools of a Gastroenterology practice”: A Colonoscopy and Endoscopy station with scopes and video tower. Students engaged in a supervised, hands-on didactic where they held the endoscope and colonoscope and we demonstrated how to perform an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy procedure using rubber models of the stomach and colon. Through this, students will explore the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract and the importance of conducting these procedures and their particular significance for underserved minority communities.
Students were exposed to a Pathology station with microscope tower with slides and screen presentation with a GI pathologist and were exposed to gross specimens.
We had a focus on colon cancer which is more prevalent in the African American community and under screened in the African American and Latinx communities. We also reviewed slides demonstrating esophagitis from Gastroesophageal reflux disease, helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach (a condition more prevalent in the Latinx community) and bacteria that cause diarrhea. We had a stethoscope station focusing on the diagnostic capabilities available to GI doctors at the bedside. We focused on simple physical exam findings and the use of the stethoscope. We had a Panel discussion about diversity in medicine and issues regarding under-representation of African American and LatinX individuals in medicine, in general, and Gastroenterology, in particular.
