Next Gen High School Internship Program

The Department of Human Genetics at Emory University recognizes that our differences make us stronger. To deliver the highest quality of care, we need a team with a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds. That's why we're actively recruiting learners, faculty members and staff from underrepresented in medicine groups, to help us improve health outcomes for all members of the diverse community we serve.

Because there is a clear lack of underrepresented minorities (URM) at all stages of academic learning for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields*, we are proposing to address this gap by initiating a paid summer internship program for high school students in the metropolitan Atlanta area beginning in the summer of 2022. We believe that an earlier exposure to the diverse and exciting career possibilities that are available in the STEM field will begin to address this difference in representation.

As not all students will have been exposed to the same STEM background based on the schools they are attending, there will be multiple facets to the internship program to ensure that all students are able to achieve the learning objectives of the internship program. Students will attend lectures for general information, but they will also be paired with mentors to allow them to have hands on experience in both the lab and clinical setting. We will also utilize the diverse programs and businesses that are proximal to Emory University We believe that the rich and diverse culture of the Atlanta area will be an asset in our efforts to expose high school students to the myriad of opportunities that are available to them.

*National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2020. The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Careers in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.