Contact: Jean Spinelli or George Humphrey, (520) 626-7301 July 26, 2005

Thirty-nine undergraduates from around the United States took a step toward a career in medicine by participating this summer in a nationally recognized pre-med enrichment program at The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

The Summer Medical Education Program (SMEP) -- formerly the Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP) -- is a six-week program that helps promising, highly motivated college students gain admission to medical schools. SMEP activities help participants examine their future in medicine, enhance their education and improve their competitiveness in the medical school application process.

SMEP participants live on campus and receive an introduction to basic physical exams and suturing, observe clinical activities at The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center and in Nogales, Ariz., and México, and discuss border health issues with American and Mexican health-care providers and administrators. SMEP also provides previews of medical school courses, guidance in selecting and applying to medical schools, mock interviews and long-term follow-up counseling.

“The program focuses on academics, admission orientation and some exposure to clinical settings,” says Linda K. Don, director, UA SMEP. “Activities include review sessions for the Medical College Admissions Test, science course preview sessions, and interaction with medical students, physicians and guest speakers to learn about specialties, medical ethics and current issues.”

More than 400 premedical students have participated in the UA SMEP since it was established in 1994. About half of the participants have applied to medical school, with an acceptance rate of more than 60 percent. Currently, 24 past SMEP participants are among the 450 students enrolled in the UA College of Medicine.

Phoenix-area residents who participated in this summer’s SMEP, which was held June 5-July 15, include:

§ Gilbert resident Crysta Clemente, a UA student;

§ Litchfield Park resident David Virgil, a student at Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe;

§ Mesa residents Allison Huang and Natalie L. Larson, both ASU students;

§ Paradise Valley resident Soroosh Behshad, a UA student;

§ Peoria resident Tony Bui, an ASU student;

§ Phoenix residents Elizabeth Nicole Arollo, Joshua Choi, Chioma Odigwe and Amal Sharifi, all ASU students; Arvind Vijayasarathi, a UA student; and Cassandra Villatoro, an ASU student;

§ Tempe residents Andrea Levitt and Dustin McGirr, both ASU students;

The UA is one of 12 medical schools around the country offering SMEP. The UA program is part of the Western Consortium SMEP, which includes the University of Washington School of Medicine.

SMEP was created in 1988 as the Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP) by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to increase the number of highly qualified medical school applicants from minority groups that are underrepresented in medicine. While more than 30 percent of the U.S. population is of ethnic minority descent, only approximately 15 percent of our country’s physicians are Hispanic, African-American, Asian Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaskan Native, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

In 1993, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Division of Diversity Policy and Programs became the MMEP’s national office; the program was renamed in 2004 to more accurately identify it as a summer program committed to helping create a well-trained, diverse physician and health-professions workforce.

SMEP identifies promising, highly motivated college students who are interested in medical careers and who come from groups that are historically underrepresented in medicine and/or who are strong advocates for diversity and gives them additional educational and practical experiences to improve their competitiveness in the medical school application process. SMEP continues to be made possible by RWJF.

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MEDICAL WRITERS/ASSIGNMENT EDITORS NOTE: Participants are available for interviews (several are fluent in Spanish); to make arrangements, please contact Linda Don, director, Office of Minority Affairs, UA College of Medicine, (520) 626-7146, or cell phone (520) 245-2043.

Susan Guthrie
Senior Public Affairs Coordinator
University of Arizona, College of Medicine
Phoenix Campus
4001 N. Third Street, Suite 401
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
602-631-6555 (office) 480-241-7738 (cell)
sguthrie@email.arizona.edu