Diversity Hub

The UCSF Department of Emergency Medicine welcomes medical students interested in completing a 6-week summer fellowship in our emergency department. This fellowship is open to medical students who are underrepresented in medicine (URM) and have completed their 1st year in medical school.

We in the department of Neurosurgery are working in partnership with the non-profit organization Oasis for Girls to offer paid internship programs for underserved high school female youth of color (ages 14-18) to expose them to medical and healthcare professional careers with mentorship, career path exploration, and professional development through hospital rotations in labs, the OR, and other academic or healthcare locations, with research projects, presentations, and interactive activities. We accept a group of 15-18 youth per cycle with 3 application / intern cycles per year. We are expanding our programs to reach other demographics (e.g. young Black males, LGBTQ+ youth, college pre-med students). Altogether these programs are housed under the title Neurosurgery Community Internship Programs (NCIP).

RIDR is a research and academic career development program funded by the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and developed by the department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. We provide unique research experiences and focused mentorship to students from diverse backgrounds. Our goal is to provide an early opportunity for students to explore radiology as a career choice and support the next wave of innovation in our field.

Inside UCSF is an annual outreach program geared towards students at two- and four-year degree schools who are interested in pursuing careers in health and science. This interprofessional opportunity is designed to: introduce students to a specific health science career path; provide opportunities to meet with students and faculty; and offer a chance to become inspired about future career possibilities.

This innovative program, started in 2009, educates students and providers about healthcare disparities faced by members of the LGBTQI community. Specialists in LGBTQI healthcare are brought together to discuss a wide range of topics including transgender health, bisexual invisibility, lesbian health, intersex awareness, gay men's health, youth and aging issues, and LGBTQI parenting. Attendees are given the opportunity to interact with specialists through small breakout sessions and panel discussions featuring community professionals and patients. The forum includes several opportunities for professional networking and is offered as elective credit for current UCSF students.

Each June, the Early Academic Outreach Program supports UCSF students in holding a one-week free summer day camp at the Parnassus campus for rising fifth- and sixth-grade students. Summer Science Camp was established by UCSF School of Pharmacy student Heather Hertema in 2007 to excite, motivate, and inspire youth, especially those who are underrepresented and underserved in natural and health sciences to pursue the natural and health sciences both in college and as a career. Each year, the camp affords up to 55 students the opportunity to experience hands-on, inquiry-based science. The camp also promotes positive interaction with professional students, campus scientists, and health professionals who serve as role models.

MAP to College! is a free, one-day, annual college-going event held in the fall for Bay Area students in the 12th grade and their parents or guardians. Fall semester of a students' senior year in high school is a critical time for college applications. As colleges become more competitive and selective, it is important that students understand the nuances of each college application and how to write a strong personal essay. Attendees of MAP to College! can attend workshops on the UC application and personal statement, the CSU application, the Community College transfer path, the application and admissions process for private colleges and financial aid. Financial aid workshops are presented in English, Spanish and Cantonese. This event is targeted to students in the twelfth grade, but students of all grades are welcome to attend!

The UCSF School of Medicine offers a comprehensive, structured post baccalaureate graduate certificate program designed for individuals who have been unsuccessful in gaining admission to medical school or who have completed the required undergraduate course work but feel they need more background before initiating the medical school application process. We are interested in individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds or underserved communities. The UCSF program is designed to help individuals increase their chances of gaining admission to medical school by offering intensive MCAT review, assistance with medical school application preparation, science courses at UC Berkeley Extension, seminars on health care issues in underserved communities, and academic skills workshops.

The annual two-day workshop is an intensive and interactive meeting designed to provide mid-level and senior faculty in HIV research with the tools for more effective mentoring, especially of mentees of diversity (defined mainly as those from underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities). The workshops discusses barriers related to being an early career investigator of diversity (e.g. microaggressions, unconscious bias), and features didactic and interactive sessions on practical tips for mentoring, including sessions on distance mentoring, funding sources for mentoring efforts, time management, manuscript writing, grant writing, individual development plans, teaching work-life balance to mentees, alternative funding strategies, etc.

CTRFP is a yearlong pre-doctoral training program open to students in UCSF School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy and School of Dentistry. The program provides training and mentorship to pre-doctoral students in clinical and translational research methodology and practice. Students who wish to participate must take a year off from their studies and commit one year (July-June) to clinical and translational research work under the guidance of a UCSF mentor. The program is also available to medical students outside of UCSF through the Doris Duke International Clinical Research Fellowship (details can be found here: CTR Fellowship Programs International Research). Funding for this yearlong program is available to students through RAPtr and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.