Lack of diversity in the medical field is a big problem.
Data show fewer than 6% of active physicians in the U.S. are Black and fewer than 7% are Hispanic, so Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is working to diversify across the campus. The Next Generation Healthcare Pathways program offers a 10-week paid internship.
Daniela Villegas, the program’s manager added that the first-level DISCOVER program (Dynamic Internship for Students Cultivating Opportunities and Vision in Healthcare Education and Research) exposes college students to an array of possible careers.
“We like to pretty much allow them to job shadow, to have mentors, to just network across the medical center,” Villegas outlined, “To be able to see if health care is their passion.”
You can fill out an interest form at the Cedars-Sinai Next Gen website here https://bit.ly/3Ar5gYQ.
Students hear from professionals in a range of fields, not just doctors and nurses but jobs without a 5-10 year training requirement, like radiology technologists, phlebotomists, administrators and more. Once you complete the DISCOVER program, the next step is the ELEVATE program, which offers a one-year position while you finish your degree.
Villegas encouraged students to take a chance on the Next Gen program, even if they do not know what they want to do after graduation.
“We always like to not just target the ‘4.0’ students,” Villegas explained. “We really like to open the doors to just anyone that wants to come learn, network experience, get the experience hands on. And again, Cedars-Sinai is huge and we will find a career for everyone.”
Cedars also has a two-year Youth Employment Development program for high school students in partnership with Fairfax High School, which pays minimum wage and counts for school credit.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
