The Summer Health Professions Education Program - SHPEP

bert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated to improving the nation’s health, SHPEP launched in 1989 as the Minority Medical Education Program (MMEP). Its goal was to increase acceptance rates for medical school applicants from underrepresented populations—a crucial step toward eliminating health care disparities. In 2003, the eligibility criteria stretched beyond the initial racial and ethnic categories to include students from rural areas and economically disadvantaged communities, and MMEP was renamed the Summer Medical Education Program (SMEP). Acceptance to SMDEP is generally limited to incoming sophomores and juniors (one program accepts rising freshmen) at 12 university sites across the country. Those sites host upwards of 950 aspiring health professionals annually, offering them intensive workshops, shadowing opportunities, MCAT preparation, and guidance on paying for their medical or dental school education. Instructors include practicing physicians and dentists, as well as medical and dental school faculty and students. The effect SMDEP has on individual lives, however, is only half the story. Studies show health professionals from marginalized communities tend to practice in those communities, and patients participate more actively in their own health care when they feel an affinity with their medical practitioners. SMDEP not only increases opportunities for culturally diverse students, it also helps create a pathway to better health care for underserved populations. Even the participants who don’t choose medical or dental careers find that their lives and purpose are enriched by their immersion in this “academic boot camp.” SHPEP scholars have pursued degrees in nursing and advanced degrees in public health, the biomedical sciences, psychology, and other health professions.