In the fall of 2021, 20 high-performing underrepresented medical students from across the country were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine (AIM) Scholarship program. In addition to scholarship funding, the program provides Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) medical students with the unique opportunity to receive guidance and career insights from Johnson & Johnson physician mentors who provide support for the scholars as they navigate a career in medicine and aspire to address healthcare’s structural and systemic barriers that disproportionately affect communities of color.
Addressing health inequities is a daunting challenge, but through the ORTHE commitment, Johnson & Johnson envisions creating a lasting impact through the change agents and future healthcare leaders of tomorrow. This meaningful collaboration and partnership between Johnson & Johnson and NMF has had tangible outcomes for the fellows who have dedicated their time and effort to become advocates for health equity through their work. These scholars and future cohorts of scholars will go on to treat countless patients. They will help improve the lives of patients through a lens of health equity, social justice, and racial justice. As they grow in their careers, they will be able to share their insights learned through their training and expertise from Johnson & Johnson physicians with colleagues in various healthcare settings.
Thus, the breadth and scope of the impact of AIM are boundless, and the first year of scholars’ experience has been breathtaking!
Along with mentorship support, scholars participated in engaging learning sessions on topics including drug development, drug safety, statistics, real-world evidence, scientific publications, clinical trial protocols, epidemiology and more. These learning sessions taught scholars the essential skills to make lasting improvements to healthcare systems that best serve diverse patient populations. Scholars also shared how the program strengthened their commitment to pursue a medical career where prioritizing diversity and providing first-class care to historic and presently marginalized BIPOC patients is at the center of their work.
As they continue their journey to becoming the healthcare leaders of tomorrow, we look forward to seeing the incredible impact these exceptional scholars will have in their communities and the patients they serve. Stay tuned as we get ready to welcome the AIM program’s second cohort of scholars in the coming months!
Look through these scholar reflection quote cards to find out how these exceptional medical students are working towards mitigating health inequities.
