Jan. 8, 2021

11 students selected for health professions program at Pitt

Eleven Upper St. Clair High School students have been selected to participate in the Health Professions Prep program for the 2021 spring season at the University of Pittsburgh. Participants include: senior Annika Chaves; junior Victoria Pete; and sophomores Jasmine Dietiker, Shree Diora, Maura Joyce, Shivani Kamineni, Mansi Lathia, Priyanka Palayekar, Srinidhi Rajaganapathy, Sophia Song and Neha Sriram.

The program will be held virtually each Wednesday evening from Jan. 13 through April 7, 2021. Students will be introduced to Pitt’s various health-related schools including health and rehabilitation, dental medicine, pharmacy, public health, nursing, and medicine. Students will have opportunities to engage in a variety of interactions including career awareness and exploration, clinical experience, student mentoring, academic experience, reflection, observation and influential conversations, academic planning, and student success skills.

The program, which serves 40 participants, is open to students in grades 9-12 who have an overall grade point average of 2.5 or above. Candidates were required to submit an application including essay and letter of recommendation.

The program was previously known as the Health Science Career Exploration Institute and the Medical Explorers Program, which began in 1974. The mission of the Health Professions Prep program is to provide a place where scientific learning can occur for high school students who have a strong interest in science and medicine. The program encourages participation from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the health sciences.