PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There’s a new program aimed at bringing mentorship to medicine for aspiring Black doctors.
According to Dennis Mashindi, program coordinator of the Hinkson Holloway Mentorship Program at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Black men only make up 3% of medical school students.
The lack of representation in the field is why Mashindi, who's also a master’s student in public health at the University of Pennsylvania, spearheaded the Hinkson Holloway program. It focuses on working with young Black men who want to pursue a career in medicine.
“To bring young Black men within the Philadelphia area into the fold to see what type of resources, networking and people we can give them so that they can be successful in their journey to medicine,” Mashindi said. “...we can do it, and we’re more than equipped to do it if we put our minds to it.”
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Through the program, networking and mentoring opportunities, training experiences and monthly in-person activities are available. Mashindi said these opportunities help Black students feel less alone while pursuing the field.
He noted how important it is to have a doctor who identifies with your background, understands where you come from, understands your culture, and believes this program, which is currently open for registration, can really help push that 3% rate into a more positive direction.
“I think taking a community-level approach and really going to communities and understanding the mindsets of community members and the potential of these young men who want to be in these spaces, I think we can really do something big.”
Registration ends April 3. More information can be found here.