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Three Penn State College of Medicine students are seen sitting in an outdoor courtyard in fall 2019, laughing together. A laptop is open on a table in front of them.

Diversity, Equity and Belonging

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We Train the Next Generation of Diverse Health Care Providers

A diverse group of students in white coats gather outside of the College of Medicine. Photo taken in May 2018.
A group of students gather outside of the College of Medicine in May 2018.

As an organization, we are seeing an increase in students, faculty and staff from different religions, military backgrounds, languages, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities, and other areas of difference. At Penn State College of Medicine, we are committed to providing concrete, proactive services that lead to healthier outcomes for our patients and a more respectful, supportive and productive work environment for our employees and learners.

We Support the Next Generation of Diverse Health Care Providers

Dr. Jonathan Nunez, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician, and Stephanie Hawkins, a second-year medical student, sit outside at a wooden table with a statue of the Penn State Nittany Lion in the background. They both wear face masks and Hawkins is wearing glasses and hospital scrubs under a lab coat.
Dr. Jonathan Nunez, an internal medicine and infectious disease physician, left, mentors Stephanie Hawkins, a medical student at Penn State College of Medicine.

Diverse Student Champion Program

Penn State College of Medicine’s Office for Diversity, Equity and Belonging offers the Diverse Student Champion Program (DSCP), a mentorship program which pairs students considered Underrepresented in Medicine (UiM) with diverse mentors, or "champions." The DSCP follows the guidance of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which defines UiM as "those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population." At this time, those populations include: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American (American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaskan Native), and mainland Puerto Rican.

Through the mentorship pairings under the DSCP, UiM mentees have the opportunity to learn from distinguished College of Medicine alumni and faculty members, as well as clinicians and researchers on our campus. Students will benefit from this supportive relationship by sharing successes and challenges unique to diverse learners in the medical community, strengthening their career networks, and receiving guidance about their educational paths.

The DSCP serves first-year MD and graduate students, with the option to continue the mentor/mentee relationship based on mutual interest and availability.

The application process for Academic Year 2021-2022 is currently closed. Please look for applications to reopen in the late Spring/early Summer of 2022 for Academic Year 2022-2023.

About Hershey

Downtown Hershey is seen, with a large building and a lightpost shaped like a Hershey's kiss chocolate in the foreground. The street sign for Chocolate Avenue is also visible.
A view of downtown Hershey.

Central Pennsylvania is known for its natural beauty, low cost of living and diverse experiences. Just like the surrounding area, Penn State College of Medicine offers an inclusive and welcoming environment toward people from all walks of life.

While you’re here, you’re part of a community working to impact and improve Central PA, making this region a happy and healthy place to live.

Explore more about the Hershey area

Pipelines K-12 and undergrad

A photo of a PhD/MD student at Penn State College of Medicine who is wearing a White Coat and a PPE, working in a lab.
Jasmine Geathers is a PhD/MD student at Penn State College of Medicine who was part of the college’s pipeline program that helps underrepresented students become doctors.

The Penn State College of Medicine is committed to increasing the number of underrepresented populations in medicine as part of the national effort to decrease the widespread disparities in health outcomes among minority groups throughout the country. It is crucial that the health care system mirror the patients and communities served in order to ensure that their unique needs are adequately addressed. In keeping with this organizational goal, as well as the guidelines set forth by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education, the Office for Diversity Equity and Belonging offers robust outreach programs to support institutional diversity and establish an effective and consistent pipeline of applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Read more about pipeline programs

Scholarships

Penn State College of Medicine is committed to making medical education accessible to all qualified students.

Donors have established 15 new scholarships and strengthen two already-existing funds to support students whose gender, race, ethnic, cultural and/or national background contribute to the diversity of the student body.

Read more about these scholarships here
Photo of an outdoor space with flowers, grass, and a tree, along with blue and white sign that reads “Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine” and a photograph of Dr. Alphonse Leure-duPree, former associate dean of academic achievement and professor emeritus.
The estate of Dr. Alphonse E. Leure-duPree, former associate dean for academic achievement and professor emeritus of neural and behavioral sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, has endowed a $1 million scholarship for students whose gender, race, ethnic, cultural and/or national background contribute to the diversity of the Penn State community.