Pathway to graduate study post-baccalaureate training program

PROJECT SUMMARY Discouraging results from the Survey of Earned Doctorates revealed that in 2020, only 3.2% of those awarded doctoral degrees in the biological / biomedical sciences were Black or African-Americans and 6.2% were Hispanics or Latinos. For those awarded doctoral degrees in the health sciences, 9.4% were Black or African- Americans and 4.8% were Hispanics or Latinos. There continues to be an urgent need to create a diverse biomedical research workforce. The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has a highly successful NIH funded Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. This proven program offers an outstanding opportunity to enhance student academic preparedness and increase laboratory-based or clinical research experience. The goal of the program is to prepare students so that they are competitive for admission into top-tier PhD or MD/PhD programs. We seek continued NIH funding to expand our research education training program. The goals of the UMass Chan PREP are: 1) Promote the scientific development of trainees from traditionally underrepresented groups; 2) Support the transition of these trainees into leading PhD and MD/PhD training programs; 3) Support the self-identification of these scholars as scientists, resulting in their sustained achievement and persistence in biomedical sciences careers. UMass Chan PREP will achieve these goals by providing PREP scholars with strong mentoring teams; high-caliber research experiences within research-intensive UMass Chan Medical School Departments, Centers, and Institutes; academic training tailored to their research goals and their previous educational and research experiences; and opportunities to hone technical and professional skills (e.g. writing, presentations, time management). Importantly, UMass Chan PREP offers support as they refine their identities as scientists through discussions related to gender, race/ethnicity, and other aspects of diversity. Sessions on imposter syndrome, intersectionality, and guidance on navigating graduate school (e.g., learning self-advocacy, managing mentoring relationships) are important sessions that enhance preparedness for success in graduate school. Our breadth of mentors, scientific disciplines, and academic programs offers the flexibility to individualize each trainee’s experience while providing a strong foundation to increase the likelihood of future academic and research success. We expect that we will continue to have at least 75% of our PREP scholars matriculate and successfully complete graduate programs contributing to the diversification of the trainee population, and workforce, in the biomedical and behavioral sciences.