Black Men with Stethoscopes Youth Summit exposes Black/BIPOC youth to careers in medicine
Hennepin Healthcare is sponsoring Black Men with Stethoscopes on Saturday, December 4 – a Youth Summit that will expose young Black men ages 12-18 to careers in medicine through hands-on activities and interaction with Black physicians, dentists and advanced practice providers.
The event takes place at Hennepin Healthcare’s Clinic & Specialty Center in downtown Minneapolis, where youth will have the opportunity to experience real-life medical simulations, tour the Hennepin Healthcare campus, learn about the path to medical and dental schools, and discover helpful tools for goal-setting and time management all while interacting with Black medical professionals.
“We couldn’t be more excited to host this inaugural event for our community as part of a bigger plan to address inequalities and support our talented youth through further job shadowing, paid internships and mentoring opportunities,” explains Dr. Nneka Sederstrom, Chief Health Equity Officer at Hennepin Healthcare.
“Knowing that this exposure may play a role in helping these young men consider applying their potential to a medical career is extremely rewarding – and a tremendous benefit to the medical profession, as well as the community.”
Over the past few years, the Association of American Medical Colleges found that only 3% of total U.S. Medical School applicants self-identified as Black men. In the 2020-2021 applicant pool, only 8% of those who accepted and enrolled identified as Black.
Pediatric Critical Care physician, Dr. Andrew Kiragu, wants to see these numbers change.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career – one that involves caring for others by applying medical skills certainly falls in this category. It is important that Black children are exposed to the multitude of STEM-based careers that are available and how to pursue them. That’s exactly why we want young Black men to see the possibilities of a career in Medicine. It is crucial that they see physicians who look like them and can provide mentorship so that they can see themselves in a fulfilling medical career.”
What: Black Men with Stethoscopes Youth Summit
When: 9:30 am to 3 pm, Saturday, December 4
Where: Hennepin Healthcare’s Clinic & Specialty Center, Stillman Community Room
715 S. 8th St., Minneapolis, MN 55404
The Black Men with Stethoscopes Youth Summit is part of a series of initiatives and events organized by Hennepin Healthcare through its Talent Garden program to expose youth to careers in medicine, while connecting youth to high quality work-based learning opportunities and creating access to a network of BIPOC healthcare professionals.
