Nine selected for cardiology program
Jan. 5, 2022
Nine selected for cardiology program
The hybrid program will take place virtually each Wednesday evening throughout the month of January, followed by a morning with mentors on the UPMC campus on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Session topics will include Panel Session & Mentoring, Cardiology 101, and Issue Simulation, featuring case study discussion relative to diversity, medicine, education and society.
The mission of the I Look Like a Cardiologist program is to expose students from backgrounds underrepresented in cardiology to the field in order to inspire diverse high school students to consider a career in the field.
According to the program’s website, “heart disease is the most common cause of death for Americans from every gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. However, despite the gains that some of these groups have made in medical school graduation rates over the past two decades, women and people of color remain significantly underrepresented in cardiology. Through targeted outreach to diverse and intellectually talented high school students in greater Pittsburgh, we hope to cultivate an interest in cardiology and develop a mentorship program for potential future cardiologists from diverse backgrounds.”
The I Look Like a Cardiologist program is coordinated by Kathryn Berlacher, a practicing physician educator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Diana Rodgers, founder and CEO of Fit Education Consulting, LLC and a doctoral graduate in higher education management with a focus on medical school admissions at the University of Pittsburgh.
Students were selected by competitive application that included the submission of transcripts, test scores and two essays.
“The acceptance rate to the I Look Like a Cardiologist program is about 49% over the past five years and was just slightly higher this year because we accepted all USC and Chartiers Valley student applicants due to both schools historically supporting the program,” Dr. Rodgers said.
Launched in January 2019, the I Look Like a Cardiologist program is sponsored by the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute.
