Saint Joseph’s is teaming up with Thomas Jefferson University to fill that need.
Students at Saint Joseph’s who are studying autism behavioral studies will get preferential treatment for a program at Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College. The program is for students in their junior year who plan to enter medical school after graduation.
If accepted, students can take part in a six-week summer research program on the subject, and they will take part in other research opportunities under McCleery.
He said it’s a great way to help an underserved population.
“It allows us to actively recruit and train undergraduate students who want to go to medical school, specifically to become medical doctors, to serve individuals with autism and their families,” he added, “and we know that there's a huge need for this. there are a lot more people on the autism spectrum than there were a decade ago because of increased sensitivity to diagnosis.”