Mini Health Professions Program

Introduction

The Mini Health Professions Program (MHPP) is pathway program aimed at introducing 4th and 5th graders from the surrounding communities who have been economically and educationally disadvantaged in the STEM fields, to the health sciences and the healthcare professions through lectures, experiments, and anatomical dissections.

MHPP Goals

A classroom of students working in groups. In the foreground a student group and two instructors are engaged in a dissection.

To provide access to health sciences learning to young students, and to create a sense of excitement about the broad possibilities of the scientific professions.
To establish a pathway for future health care professionals who will better reflect the demographics of the patients and communities they serve.
To instill confidence in young students who will be exposed to real-time hands-on scientific activities led by graduate student program leaders with whom they can relate.
With increased evidence available about the impact of early STEM learning, the MHPP program is pivotal in expanding and diversifying the educational and career pathways for youth in STEM and health care professions.

Message from a Parent

Grade school student holding certificate of completion and posing with two UHP staff.

The Urban Health Program creates a transformative space for young learners. The experiences offered by Dr. Goldfarb and the MHPP fostered my son’s natural curiosity, boosted his confidence and ultimately his academic performance. His Illinois Readiness assessment scores exceeded district averages by a substantial margin. I firmly believe that Eli’s involvement in the Urban Health Program has been instrumental in both this success and his ongoing passion for medicine.

Daphne Alcide | Parent of MHPP Student

MHPP Curriculum

Two students holding projects they made in an MHPP class.

The MHPP program takes place one or two Saturdays a month, from January through early May. The sessions last from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, with each session covering one of the following body systems: neurovascular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, dental and mental health.

There are Five Components for Each session:

Main Lecture. This is given on the organ system of the month. After the main lecture, students break into small group activities including:
Anatomy. Fetal pig dissection and individual sheep/bovine organ dissection.
Experiment. This includes conducting an experiment followed by data collection and analysis with graphing of independent and dependent variables.
PET (Professions and Exam Techniques). This is a small group lecture regarding the specific organ system with integration of a visiting health care professional and corresponding technology used with that system.
A Public Health Session. This session introduces each one of the 5 Social Determinants of Health, and links the organ system to a public health concern.

Lunch is served and afterwards students are dismissed.
Students are sent home every week with “dinner table talking points” to share with their parents and families.