Sunny Days for Graduating SUMP Students
The members of the 2017 class of the Summer Undergraduate Mentorship Program (SUMP) rounded out their six-week experience, which included attending medical lectures, shadowing physicians and developing strategies for applying to medical school, by giving final presentations on the research topics they had chosen.
Graduates of the Summer Undergraduate Mentoring Program with keynote speaker Sonia Manzano.
Their presentations coincided with graduation from the program. The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Sonia Manzano, who is an author as well as an actor best known for her longtime role as Maria on Sesame Street.
Ms. Manzano has written about her experiences as a first-generation American of Latino descent and her childhood in the South Bronx, and has long been an advocate for education, especially among disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.
Offering a Path to Medicine and Science
SUMP, run by Einstein’s Hispanic Center of Excellence at Einstein, has been active since 2002, and has mentored nearly 200 students interested in careers in medicine and healthcare. Many of the program’s alumni have been accepted to medical schools and master’s degree programs.
The 2017 class of 16 undergraduates came from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Puerto Rico and Florida, and spent their summer researching a diverse array of topics ranging from mental-health treatment strategies among Asian Americans to differences in care among multiple-myeloma cancer patients, as well as getting a preview of careers in medicine and preparing themselves for their next academic steps.
“Thanks to SUMP, a career in medicine is more of a reality rather than a dream,” Stacey Franco, SUNY Oneonta ’18, said. “I have also found a support system through inspiring and talented colleagues, coordinators and mentors. Above all, the knowledge I've gained about the medical field and health inequality has confirmed my passion for medicine.”
Recognizing Service
At the graduation, the Hispanic Center of Excellence also presented the Helen Rodríguez-Trías Award in Social Justice to Nelly Maseda, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Einstein.
Dr. Rodríguez-Trías was a pediatrician who worked in the South Bronx and Puerto Rico, advocating for and helping underserved and disadvantaged communities. The award recognizes Dr. Maseda’s own commitment and hard work in advancing and enriching the lives of college students, medical students and junior faculty in their pursuit of careers in medicine and scientific research, as well as furthering the causes of diversity and social justice.
Posted on: Thursday, June 14, 2018