Date: Jul 21, 2010

Hofstra, North Shore-LIJ Launch Medical Scholars Program for Area High School Students

New School of Medicine program prepares teens for health care careers

The Hofstra School of Medicine in partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System has launched a new program to prepare high school students for health care careers that includes hands-on training, rigorous academic classes on a range of medical issues and mentorship from physicians and other clinicians.

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The Medical Scholars Pipeline Program began in July with 22 high school juniors from Uniondale, Hempstead and Queens who are spending four-weeks immersed in the clinical, social and political issues facing the health care industry. The program includes lectures on topics ranging from the ethics of medical research to the politics of health-care reform,  primers on clinical specialties, SAT prep, exercises to develop leadership and team-building skills, as well as CPR training.  Similar to the medical school, students rotate through programs held at Hofstra and at various health system facilities, including the Patient Safety Institute, hospitals and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

The program is a five-year experience designed to supply a steady stream of physicians and medical professions who reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic and economic diversity of the region.

Students participate in the month-long summer session each year, beginning with their junior year of high school through their junior year in college. The program also includes activities during the school year. Beyond that, each student is assigned a mentor who is a senior clinician at North Shore-LIJ. A new class of rising juniors will be chosen to begin the program every year.

Among this year's inaugural class of medical scholars is Philippe Rameau, a 16-year-old from Uniondale whose love of science found focus during a lecture on nephrology, a subspecialty of internal medicine that deals with the function and diseases of the kidney.

"I didn't even know what nephrology was until I got into this program," Philippe said. "With diabetes and kidney disease being so prevalent in the U.S., it's an area where I'd like to help."

Meanwhile, classmate Britney Nathan has always wanted to be a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Her experience with the medical scholars program confirmed her ambitions, and stoked her confidence.

"I am more sure of myself," said Britney, who is also 16. "I'm more confident that I can do this, that I understand what it takes."

The Hofstra School of Medicine in Partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System in June won the necessary state accreditation to begin recruiting its first class of 40 students, and opened its new building, a 47,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. The School of Medicine began accepting applications July 1, 2010, and the initial class will begin their studies in summer 2011. It will be New York State's first new allopathic medical school since 1963.

About Hofstra University

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

About North Shore-LIJ Health System

The nation's second-largest, non-profit, secular healthcare system, the North Shore-LIJ Health System cares for people of all ages throughout Long Island, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island - a service area encompassing more than seven million people. The winner of the National Quality Forum's 2010 National Quality Healthcare Award, the North Shore-LIJ Health System consists of 15 hospitals, 17 long-term care facilities, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, three trauma centers, five home health agencies, a hospice network and dozens of outpatient centers. In addition, North Shore-LIJ is partnering with Hofstra University to develop a new medical school. North Shore-LIJ's owned facilities house about 5,600 beds, employ more than 10,000 nurses and have affiliations with more than 9,000 physicians. Its workforce of about 42,000 is the largest on Long Island and the ninth largest in New York City.  For more information, go to www.northshorelij.com.

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