Minority Applicants

There is a critical need for underrepresented minority doctors in the United States. Many medical schools are looking specifically for individuals who are committed to serving communities with high minority populations. Accordingly, special consideration may be given to such students when their applications are reviewed. Less emphasis may be placed on GPA and MCAT scores and more on life experiences, the personal essay, and the interview. If you belong to an underrepresented minority, have a respectable academic record, and are committed to serving minority-dominated communities, then your chances of being accepted to medical school are very good.

There are also several summer programs intended to provide educational and training opportunities for students from minority groups that are underrepresented in U.S. medicine, including Blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians. One such program is the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program, SMDEP. There are currently twelve SMDEP sites, each offering a unique program; some designed for students who have finished their freshman or sophomore years, some for upperclassmen, and some for those who have graduated from college. You can only attend one of these programs, so be sure to closely evaluate what they have to offer and what you need to strengthen your credentials. For example, only some of the sites offer help in preparing for the MCAT.

Summer programs are also offered by individual medical schools, including the local institutions UMass, UConn, Tufts, and Harvard. New programs are being developed all the time, so be sure to check out websites such as Syracuse University, and check with the Health Careers Advising Office early and often.

Additional links:

African American Scholarships & Internship Opportunities
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Emergency Department Clinical Exposure and Mentoring Program
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Hispanic Center of Excellence (HCOE) Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Minority Student Summer Research Opportunity Program
American Dental Association Foundation (ADAF) Minority Dental Student Scholarship
American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Center for Equity and Diversity Links
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC)
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) List of Fellowships
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) List of Internships
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) Research Opportunities
American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) Scholars
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Internships
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Scholarships
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Minority Health Action Committee
The American Physiological Society Explorations in Biomedicine Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships for Native American Students
American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fellowship (MURF) Program
U. of Arizona Graduate College Minority Health Disparities Summer Research Opportunities Program (MHD/SROP)
U. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine Undergraduate Summer Science Enrichment Program (USSEP)
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)
AspiringDocs.org
Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Minorities in Medicine
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Minority Student Medical Career Awareness Workshops and Recruitment Fair, November 1, 2008
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools (AMHPS) Student Training Programs
Association of MultiEthnic Americans (AMEA)
Association of Native American Medical Students
Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholars Program
The Black Collegian Online Career Center
Black Excel Scholarships for Minorities List
Boston University Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Summer Research Program in Genomics
The Brody School of Medicine of East Carolina U. Summer Program for Future Doctors
U. of California, Berkeley School of Optometry Opto-Camp
U. of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Summer Enrichment Program (SEP)
U. of California, Irvine School of Medicine Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC)
U. of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Premedical/Predental Enrichment Program (PREP)
U. of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Re-Application Program (RAP)
U. of California, San Diego Summer Training Academy for Research in the Sciences (STARS)
Campbell University School of Pharmacy Pharmacy Readiness and Enrichment Program (PREP)
Carnegie Mellon Health Professions Program List of Minority Opportunities
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Summer Research Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (OMHD) Training Opportunities
U. of Chicago Department of Physics Summer REU Opportunities for Minorities and Women
U. of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine Experience in Research (PSOMER) Program
Chinese American Physicians' Society (CAPS) Scholarship Program for U.S. Medical Students
U. of Cincinnati College of Medicine Summer Enrichment Programs
U. of Cincinnati Summer Undergraduate Resarch Training Program in Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Coe College Chemistry Department Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
Colorado State U. College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Vet Prep Program
U. of Colorado at Boulder Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training (SMART) Program
Columbia U. Medical Center Summer Program for Under-Represented Students (SPURS) Biomedical Research Program
Committee on Institutional Cooperation Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) Health Professions Education - Diversity Links
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Scholarship Awards
UConn. School of Medicine Medical/Dental Preparatory Program
UConn. School of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship Program
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute-NIH Center of Excellence in Genomic Science (CEGS) Postbaccalaureate Training Program
Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Initiative to Eliminate Cancer Disparities: CURE (Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences) Program
Dartmouth Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program in Molecular and Cell Biology
Dentistry in the African American Community: An Abbreviated Overview
Diversity Allied Health Careers
Diversity-Focused Career and Education Sites
Diversity in Medicine
Diversity in the Physician Workforce: Facts and Figures
Diversity Matters
Drexel U. College of Medicine Drexel Pathway to Medical School (DPMS) Program
Drexel U. College of Medicine Interdepartmental Medical Science Program (IMSP)
Drexel U. College of Medicine Medical Science Preparatory (MSP) Program
Drexel U. College of Medicine Minority Summer Research Training Program (MSRTP)
Duke U. School of Medicine Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
East Tennessee State U. James H. Quillen College of Medicine Pathway Summer Programs
East Tennessee State U. James H. Quillen College of Medicine Pre-Health Reinforcement and Enrichment Program (PREP)
Eliminating Health Disparities
Emerging Leaders in Public Health Program
Financial Aid for Native American Students
U. of Florida College of Dentistry Summer Learning Program
U. of Florida College of Medicine Summer Research Program
Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP) for Native Americans at Harvard Medical School
Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program: Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program
Georgetown Summer Medical Institute at Georgetown University School of Medicine
HACU National Internship Program
Harvard Medical School Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP)
Harvard School of Public Health Summer Program in Quantitative Sciences
Headlands Indian Health Careers Summer Program
Hispanic Dental Association (HDA)
Hispanic Dental Association Foundation (HDAF) Scholarship Programs
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Hispanic-Serving Health Professions Schools (HSHPS) Internships and Fellowships
U. of Houston College of Optometry Texas Optometry Career Opportunities Program (TEXOCOP)
U. of Houston Rice-Houston AGEP Summer Research Program
Howard U. Health Careers Summer Programs & Outreach Activities
U. of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Urban Health Programs
Illinois College of Optometry Focus on Your Future Summer Program
IMDiversity.com Guide to Graduate and Professional School Fellowships
Indian Health Service (IHS)
Indian Health Service (IHS) Scholarship Program
Indiana U. Purdue U. Indianapolis (IUPUI) Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)
Indiana U. Simon Cancer Center Summer Research Program
Indians Into Medicine Program (INMED)
Institute for Diversity in Health Management Summer Enrichment Program (SEP)
Iowa AGEP Summer Internship Program
U. of Iowa Committee on Institutional Cooperation Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
Johns Hopkins U. School of Medicine Graduate Programs Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Johns Hopkins U. School of Medicine Summer Institute in Anatomy for Undergraduates
The Journal for Minority Medical Students
Just Garcia Hill: A Virtual Community for Minorities in Science Summer Research Programs
Kaiser Family Foundation Minority Health
Kaiser Health Disparities Report: A Weekly Look at Race, Ethnicity and Health
Keck Graduate Institute Undergraduate Research in Biotechnology and Bioengineering REU Program
The Keepsake, A Guide for Minority Science Students
Latino Medical Student Association
Latino Medical Student Association Scholarships
The Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program (SR-EIP)
Louisiana State U. Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Shreveport Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program (for Louisiana residents)
Loyola U. Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Summer Enrichment Program
U. of Maine NEAGEP Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities (SURO)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Physician and Dentist Scholarship (for NJ residents)
Massachusetts General Hospital Summer Research Trainee Program
UMass. Amherst NEAGEP Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
UMass. Amherst Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program in Nanotechnology
UMass. Medical School NIH Summer Research Program
UMass. Medical School Summer Enrichment Program (SEP)
UMass. Medical School Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE)
Medical Career Fairs
Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine Student Education Enrichment Program (SEEP) in the Health Sciences
Medical Spanish Training in the U.S. (pdf)
U. of Miami School of Medicine Minority Students Health Careers Motivation Program
Michigan State U. College of Veterinary Medicine Vetward Bound Program
U. of Michigan Medical School Office of Diversity and Career Development Summer Opportunities for Apprenticeships in Research (MedSOAR)
U. of Michigan Pharmacology Summer Research Program: Charles Ross Summer Research Fellowship for Minority Undergraduate Students (pdf)
U. of Michigan School of Dentistry Profile for Success (PFS) Summer Enrichment Experience
U. of Michigan School of Public Health Health Management and Policy Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) for Undergraduate Students
Minorities in Medical Education: Facts and Figures
Minorities in Research and Medicine
Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Minority Dental Student Scholarship
Minority Funding Resources
Minority Medical Applicant Registry
MinorityNurse.com
Minority Scholarships, Fellowships and Postdoctoral Awards in Medicine, Public Health and Related Fields
U. of Missouri-Columbia Emerge Summer Undergraduate Research Internship
U. of Montana Residential Enrichment Activities for Careers in Healthcare (REACH)
Morehouse School of Medicine MD Summer Program; Application Menu
Morehouse School of Medicine Public Health Summer Fellows Program
Mount Sinai School of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship Program (SRFP)
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC) Program
National Dental Association (NDA)
National Dental Association Foundation (NDAF)/Colgate Palmolive Scholarship Fund
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Biomedical Research Training Program for Individuals from Underrepresented Groups
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Sponsored Summer Research Training Program at Boston U. School of Medicine
National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Short-term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Summer Research Training Program
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Division of Minority
Opportunities in Research (MORE) Minority Programs
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Summer Program in the Neurological Sciences and Other Neuroscience Research Training and Funding Opportunities
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program
National Medical Association
National Optometric Association (NOA)
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School Undergraduate Academic Enrichment Programs
New York University School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
North Carolina State University AGEP Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates
U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Medical Education Development (MED) Program
U. of North Texas Health Science Center Summer Multicultural Advanced Research Training (SMART) Program
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Research Alliance in Math and Science (RAMS) Program
Office of Minority Health
Ohio State University College of Dentistry DENTPATH Program
Ohio U. College of Osteopathic Medicine Summer Scholars Program
U. of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
Oregon Health & Science U. School of Medicine Diversity Achievement Programs
Oregon Health & Science U. School of Medicine Graduate Studies Program Equity Summer Research Program
Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Scholarships
Pennsylvania College of Optometry Office of Minority Affairs Summer Enrichment Program
U. of Pennsylvania Nano/Bio Interface Center Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)
U. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Gastroenterology Division Undergraduate Student Scholars Program
U. of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon Univ. Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Summer Undergraduate Research Program for Underrepresented Students (SURPUS)
U. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program (SPAEP)
Prehealth Enrichment Programs Database
Premed of Color
Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network Internship Program
Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network Research, Scholarship, and Fellowship Opportunities
Resources for Minority Applicants to Graduate & Medical School
Rice University AGEP Summer Research Program
RISE (Research in Science and Engineering) Undergraduate Summer Research Program
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Biomedical Careers Program (BCP)
Rochester Institute of Technology List of Co-op/Internship Opportunities for Minority and Underrepresented Students
Ron Brown Scholarship Program Scholarships List
Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students
Scholarships for Hispanics
Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Internships, Undergrad Research Experiences, and Summer Programs
Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID)
U. of South Alabama College of Medicine Summer Programs
U. of South Florida College of Medicine Diversity Initiatives and Pre-Medical Summer Enrichment Program (PSEP)
Southern Illinois U. School of Medicine Medical/Dental Education Preparatory Program (MEDPREP)
Stony Brook University AGEP Summer Research Institute
Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
Summer Enrichment Programs
Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)
Summer Opportunities for Disadvantaged and Minority Students
Summer Opportunities for ALANA (American, Latino/a, Asian American and Native American) Undergraduate Students
Summer Programs Offered in Texas, Other States, and Internationally
Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine Summer Research Program
Swarthmore College List of Health-Related Summer Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students/Underrepresented Minority Students
Syracuse University List of Summer Programs
U. of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Office of Health Career Programs Summer Programs
U. of Texas-Houston Health Science Center Dental Branch Summer Enrichment Program
U. of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine Summer Research and Academic Enrichment Training Program
U. of Toledo College of Medicine MedStarz Program
Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program of Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Tuskegee U. School of Veterinary Medicine Summer Enrichment and Reinforcement Program (SERP)
Underrepresented in Medicine Definition
United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Scholarships
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Professions Centers of Excellence Websites
U. of Utah School of Medicine Summer MCAT Preparation and Research/Clinical Training Scholars Program
Vanderbilt U. Summer Science Academy Undergraduate Clinical Research Internship
Vanderbilt U. Summer Science Academy Undergraduate Summer Research Programs
Vanderbilt U. Vascular Biology Summer Research Program for Minority Students
Vetward Bound Program at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine
U. of Virginia School of Medicine Summer Research Internship Program
Virginia Tech Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program Undergraduate Summer Research Internship
Wadsworth Center Department of Biomedical Sciences Summer Research Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Washington U. in St. Louis Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program (BioMed RAP)
Wellstone Fellowship for Social Justice
U. of Wisconsin-Madison Integrated Biological Sciences Summer Research Program for Undergraduates
Wright State U. Boonshoft School of Medicine Short-Term Research Experience Access for Minority Students (STREAMS) Program
Yale U. School of Medicine Biomedical Science Training and Enrichment Program (BioSTEP)
Yale U. School of Medicine Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP)