Doctor's Day Out
Main Contact: Kara Green Ihedigbo, MPH
Senior Project Coordinator
Baylor College of Medicine
Office of Diversity and Community Outreach
713-798-8646 or karag@bcm.edu
Doctors’ Day Outreach is a day when we schedule physicians and medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to go into a local elementary, middle, or high school to tell the students about the medical profession. We tell them about the pathway to becoming a physician and the disparity that exists in the healthcare workforce (which is the reason why we need them to pursue medicine). Most importantly, each volunteer will have an opportunity to share their personal story of how they became a physician (or a medical student), and the obstacles that you had to overcome along the way. Our hope is that after meeting a doctor or medical student that looks like them, or has had similar experiences, they will believe a career in medicine is attainable for them!
Here is the general format for each outreach (some schools can’t accommodate an assembly):
· Assembly with all of the students that will participate in the outreach (usually 20 – 30 min)
o The program is introduced and each volunteer is introduced
· Classroom/small group time (usually 45 min – 1 hr)
o Each volunteer talks with a smaller group of the students discuss the details of the profession (and your specialty), your personal story, and to answer questions.
*A Power Point presentation for each level (elementary vs. high school) is available for your use. Some schools do not have capability to use the presentations, but I would let you know that in advance of the day.
Visit BCM's website to see pictures of past DDO’s: http://www.bcm.edu/studentdiversity/index.cfm?pmid=20888
Other upcoming outreaches:
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at KIPP Houston High School (located in Southwest Houston area) from 10:55 am – 12:55 pm.
KIPP Houston High School is a predominantly Hispanic and African American outstanding charter high school. We will need as many physicians and/or medical students as possible to make this outreach a success. Anyone interested in volunteering on this day, please contact me! Feel free to pass this opportunity along to any physicians or medical students you think may be interested!
Friday, January 13th, 2012 at Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center from 8 am – 10:30 pm (exact time not yet determined). Sam Houston High School is a predominantly Hispanic high school in Houston. We will need as many physicians and/or medical students as possible to make this outreach a success. Anyone interested in volunteering on this day, please contact me! Feel free to pass this opportunity along to any physicians or medical students you think may be interested!
