Sixth graders try on STEM careers at UTHSC

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is partnering with the Nexus STEM Academy public charter school in southeast Memphis to encourage students to pursue careers in the health care industry.
The partnership’s first event was a white coat and tassel ceremony for 98 sixth-grade students on Oct. 20 inside Schreier Auditorium at the UTHSC Student-Alumni Center.

"Our mission is to educate the students that come through our door, but our pact with the community is that we also build a pipeline for students to choose careers in health care," said Dr. Lori Gonzalez, vice chancellor of the UTHSC Office of Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs. "So starting early, particularly with middle school, is really critical for us."

Studies show that minorities make up a much smaller percentage of the health care workforce than of the U.S. population as a whole. Reducing this disparity in the ranks of health care providers is believed to be key in eliminating health disparities.

"We have health disparities in our world, and they’re often times based on racial or ethnic groups, so we want to have professionals that understand the community and the cultures so we can deliver better health care," said Gonzalez, who estimates that 20 percent of UTHSC’s student body comes from under-represented groups.

For last week’s white coat and tassel event, each student received a lab coat emblazoned with their chosen future profession, and the auditorium filled with future doctors, lawyers, teachers, football players, basketball players, astronauts and a mortician and astronomer.

"What we hope we’ll see is that these children connect with science and math so in high school they’ll take a college-ready curriculum, and they will be able to excel," said Gonzalez. “If the students decide they want to be an English major or go into geography through this relationship, we consider that a win too because we want an educated workforce and we want the kids to follow their passions."

The students also received a graduation tassel and took an oath pledging to give back to the community, to be accepting of others and to nurture their love of STEM.

The students were honored for their academic achievements, and their parents pledged to support the students in future academic and career endeavors.

The guest speaker was Hannah Ashitey, a second-year student at UTHSC College of Medicine. Originally from Ghana in West Africa, Ashitey spoke about her personal journey to medical school and the importance of STEM education.
In the coming months, UTHSC faculty will go the school to talk about STEM and careers in science. Additionally, student groups will offer tutoring for the students, and there will be in-service development for teachers centered around learning and cognition styles that can help them work better with students.

Next, the pipeline program is expected to expand to Shelby County Schools.

“We haven’t really delved into the details yet, but we’ll cover more grades, different ages and different activities for the students,” said Gonzalez.