Fifteen high school, college, and graduate students who aspire to careers in the field of health care, participated this summer in internships throughout the Mount Sinai Health System, in areas such as medical records, managed care, ambulatory care, scientific research, and real estate services.

The internships, which provide educational opportunities to underrepresented minority students, were supported by the Mount Sinai Health System’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion in partnership with the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, and Prep for Prep, an organization that prepares students of modest backgrounds for placement at high-ranking institutions in the country.

“This has been a challenging and fulfilling experience,” says New York City high school student Ethan Zhou, a Prep for Prep intern who investigated the gene expression profiles of cells infected with different viruses and cancers, under the supervision of Benjamin Greenbaum, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Long Island University graduate student Elizabeth Diaz, a GNYHA intern in the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, was supervised by Pamela Abner, Chief Administrative Officer. “This internship experience has taught me to think critically, and to take advantage of the opportunities that I am presented with,” says Ms. Diaz. She was among five interns who attended a lunchtime roundtable in July that was hosted by David Reich, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens, in which the students shared their career goals, and Dr. Reich discussed the importance of a graduate or professional school education.

A group of interns also met with Hope Bellingham, Vice President of Financial Planning, to discuss financial management and the recent effects of the Affordable Care Act on hospital finances.