Racial health inequities persist in the U.S., where Black and Latino/Hispanic people consistently report the highest levels of poor or fair health. These diverse populations have long been underrepresented among medical doctors, even though we know patients experience better outcomes when they are treated by physicians who look like them and share common backgrounds. Supporting and empowering the next generation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) medical doctors will be critical to ensuring that no one is left behind.
The Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine (AIM) program is a new $450,000 scholarship and mentorship commitment. With support from Johnson & Johnson, NMF recently welcomed the program’s inaugural cohort of 20 scholars in their second and third years of medical school. Scholars are matched and paired with a J&J mentor who serves as a resource, connecting them with hundreds of other experts within the enterprise from whom they can receive advice, guidance and insight as they progress through their research projects and pursue their goals.
“Through the program, we aim to empower the next generation of BIPOC medical doctors and researchers. Johnson & Johnson believes in investing not only financially but also providing hands-on support including mentorship and a network for career guidance,” said Joanne Waldstreicher, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Johnson & Johnson and the initiative’s executive sponsor.
“As the largest and most broadly-based health care company in the world, Johnson & Johnson has access to a deep network of MDs, PhDs and subject matters experts who can lend their expertise to help students on their journey to becoming the healthcare leaders of tomorrow,” adds Bryan Baugh, MD, Global Medical Affairs Leader, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines at Janssen.
To learn more about the exceptional scholars and their passions for their future medical careers, scroll through the carousel below.
This initiative is only one of the many ways Johnson & Johnson supports NMF. The company also helped develop the NMF Diversity in Clinical Trials Research program (NMF Dctr) to increase the number of clinicians underrepresented in medicine who serve as lead research managers or principal investigators in clinical trials.