Four participate in cardiology program
Feb. 1, 2023
The month-long hybrid program features weekly 75-minute live online sessions, followed by a morning with mentors on the UPMC campus. Session topics include Panel Session & Mentoring, Cardiology 101, and Issue Simulation that features a 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.”
Students were selected by competitive application that included the submission of transcripts, test scores and two essays.
The program’s website states, “the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute has been a proud supporter of I Look Like a Cardiologist. Our physician mentors are all UPMC attending physicians, fellows, or residents and their experience in becoming a cardiologist has informed our program. We are grateful for the ways that UPMC has supported I Look Like a Cardiologist through providing resources, time, publicity, and physician mentors.”