BEAMS Hosts Program for High School Students Interested in STEM

BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s Education, Advising and Mentoring in STEM (BEAMS) program recently hosted a “Mini-Symposium: Exposing Boston Public High-School Students to Careers in Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences,” on the Medical Campus.

The in-person event kicked off the academic year for BEAMS and highlighted upcoming activities and programs it offers to BPS students interested in STEM-related careers. The medical student group, Pipeline for Underrepresented Students in Healthcare (PUSH), also helped to sponsor the event.

The program began with a discussion facilitated by two faculty who spoke about their individual journeys in STEM. Vincent Smith, MD, professor of pediatrics and chief of newborn medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), shared his experience pursuing a career in clinical medicine. Dennis Jones, PhD, assistant professor of pathology & laboratory medicine, reviewed the path that led him to work in biomedical research.

Following the guest speakers, a panel discussion was held featuring medical, master’s, and PhD student panelists who shared their thoughts and advice about pursuing various interests and professions in STEM-related topics. One panelist was a former BPS student and BEAMS participant who now is a freshman at BU’s Sargent College.

Approximately 25 BPS high-school students attended the event, representing a wide range of schools such as John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, Boston Arts Academy, Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School, and Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, and Codman Academy Charter School.

The BPS student attendees are part of a larger cohort of 50 students who are enrolled in the Fall 2022 session of Med-Sci Program (MSP), a virtual program focused on topics in clinical medicine and taught by BU medical students on Saturday mornings. During the academic year, MSP also runs another virtual program in the spring focused global and public health. During the summer, MSP offers an in-person program on the Medical Campus with hands-on learning opportunities led by medical students and BMC residents.

Two students who attended the symposium and are participating in MSP this fall shared their thoughts and hopes with BEAMS Director Maura Kelley, MD.  One student, who is interested in dermatology, noted, “I want to provide an opportunity for people like me to have access to a doctor who looks like them and can make them more comfortable and willing to seek help.”

Another student, who is keeping all options open, reflected, “Whether it be a nurse or a pharmacist, I do believe that this program will help me get closer to my goal…to be a woman in STEM in the future.”