Dr. Leila Harrison was the plenary speaker, along with a representative from OHSU, at the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) conference. She shared collaborative work from RISE and Wy’East as well as the college’s admissions process and demonstrated barriers.
Their presentation was called “Working Together to Pave Pathways for American Indian and Alaska Natives into the Health Professions.”
Abstract
There continues to be a dearth of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) applicants being accepted to US MD-granting medical schools each year. This further perpetuates the significant public health concern for Native communities. Their plenary will share the initiatives though Reimagine IndianS into MedicinE (RISE partner medical schools: Oregon Health and Sciences University, Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and the University of California Davis School of Medicine) to encourage and support the success of AIAN aspiring doctors. They will share the broader vision for this work and the tangible steps being taken in thoughtful and intentional holistic admissions processes to deconstruct barriers for these and other applicants underrepresented in medicine. Furthermore, they will share our ideas about how Pre-Health Advisors can help bolster the pathway for AIAN learners, including creating true partnerships with non-profits, tribal communities, tribal early ed programs, and community colleges with significant Native partnerships. By working together toward these goals, they will foster success for AIAN learners at multiple points along the path to medicine.
Recent presentations
Dr. Harrison was also invited to give the keynote address for the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for the Health Professions Master of Science Scholarship Seminar in June. She spoke about the impact and importance of holistic review in all selection processes as well as sharing more about our process.