2005 California Symposium Encourages Minority High School Students to Pursue Health and Biomedical Sciences Careers

Health careers symposium for minority high school students

Staff at the Minority Health Professions Foundation, in collaboration with the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, sponsored the "19th Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical Sciences" for minority high school and college students.

Key Results: The symposium, held March 23–25, 2005, in Anaheim, Calif., was designed to encourage minority students (African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics) to consider career opportunities in the biomedical sciences and health professions.

Over 1,000 high school and undergraduate college students attended the symposium. In terms of race and ethnicity of the participants, 80 percent were African American; 8 percent were Hispanic; 7 percent were Asian American/Pacific Islander; 1 percent were Native American; and 3 percent were other. Some 83 percent of the participants were female and 17 percent male.

During the symposium, accomplished health professionals discussed their experiences in their respective fields. Seven workshops addressed other topics, including:

  • Internships.
  • Graduate/professional school admissions.
  • Careers in biomedical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary medicine, public health and medicine.
  • The role of health sciences in the petrochemical industries.
  • Mastering public speaking.

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