More than 50 high school, college, and graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds gained valuable exposure to careers in health care and medicine this summer in administrative internships spearheaded by the Mount Sinai Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). Departments across the Health System sponsored a wide range of experiences in fields including ambulatory care, hospital administration and operations, supply chain management, finance, development, digital and social media, information technology, and real estate services and facilities.
ODI supported the internships through partnerships with organizations including America Needs You; the All Stars Project, Inc.; CUNY Summer Corps; the Greater New York Hospital Association; the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity; the New York City Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education Industry Scholars Program; and Prep for Prep. “We are grateful for our internal sponsors and external partners, which allow us to expand opportunities for the next generation of health care leaders,” says Shana Dacon, MPH, MBA, Director, Corporate Health System Affairs, Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
ODI also introduced LGBT-identified youths to careers in health care in the second year of its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Young Queer Urban Teens for Health in Medicine program. “In addition to year-round outreach events, we were able to welcome 18 LGBT students and allies to this year’s ‘Saturday at Sinai’ event on April 27,” says Edgar Vargas, MPH, LMSW, LGBT Program Manager, Office for Diversity and Inclusion.
Ive Chowdhury, a Bard High School student, participated in the one-day program and completed a summer internship with ODI. “This has been such a rewarding experience,” she says. “I enjoyed speaking to medical students, meeting new people, and seeing health care from a different perspective.”