College of Medicine – Phoenix hosts Second Connect2Mentors Event

Twenty Phoenix area high school students were invited to attend a one-day experience with a health sciences mentor Jan. 18 as part of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix outreach programs. The hope is that some of the students will one day choose to pursue a career in health care.

The Connect2Mentors program was created by the College of Medicine – Phoenix in conjunction with Connect2STEM, an annual community outreach event that draws thousands of families to the downtown Phoenix campus. This year, the mentor program was hosted by the college’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, funded by the University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Diversity and Inclusion Arizona Health Opportunities Pathways to Excellence grant and supported by the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers.

Sonji Muhammad, MA, director of the college’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, said, introducing mentors is essential in overcoming barriers for many underrepresented students.

“Having mentors that look like the students and/or have similar backgrounds and challenges is powerful,” she said.

Tinnley Subsin, a senior at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, said the storytelling was the best part of the day.

“They told us how they found their passion for their respective career paths and what obstacles they faced. It was comforting to hear that many of them had similar upbringings as I did and were accomplishing great things. Being a low-income minority, it is rare to see people whom I can relate to in the health care field. I am glad I could find a little part of me in all their stories.”

Throughout the rest of the day, the students learned from health professions students through a networking “speed date,” where they had an opportunity to meet with mentors studying medicine, pharmacy, public health and nursing.

Afterward, the students were coached on how to write a personal statement for college applications followed by an escape room activity that tested their wits and medical knowledge while encouraging teamwork.

Third-year medical student Analissa Cox said she wished the Connect2Mentor program existed when she was in high school. She loves being on the mentor side of the equation now.

“I am grateful that we have opportunities like this to help them find that connection,” she said. “My passion for this really developed when I spent some time teaching high school biology. I could see how my students were regularly facing adversity, and I would always try to be that point of contact to get them connected and involved.”