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Minority Research Training and Outreach Program
San Francisco State University School of Nursing and
University of California San Francisco Cancer Center
Program Overview
The demographics of the state of California have changed
significantly, as evidenced by the results of the UC Census in 2000. The
demographics of the nursing profession have yet to catch up, and several ethnic
and cultural groups notably Hispanics, African-Americans, and Native Americans
are underrepresented, while Caucasians continue to be overrepresented within the
profession, relative to the state's population. At the same time, longstanding
health care disparities persist, particularly among the ethnic and cultural
groups underrepresented in the health professions, despite several decades of
effort.
In response, San Francisco State University's (SFSU)
School of Nursing is collaborating with University of California San Francisco's
(UCSF) Cancer Center to provide the Minority Research Training and Outreach
Program. The program's specific aim is to recruit and encourage well qualified
underrepresented students from SFSU's MSN program to continue their education by
applying to and entering UCSF's PhD program in nursing. If selected, students in
the MSN program will receive financial assistance (in the forms of tuition
remission and stipends) as well as academic and practical assistance to prepare
them to be highly competitive candidates for first-rate PhD programs, such as
the one at UCSF. This assistance will include preceptorships in clinical
research at UCSF's Cancer Center (CC), seminars designed to educate them about
health care disparities, participation in a GRE preparation program, and
opportunities to participate in community outreach programs designed to address
health care disparities through screening and health education.
Program Components
*8-week summer program where students would spend 1
day/week meeting their preceptor and becoming oriented to UCSF CC; the balance
of the summer term would be spent in the Psych/Community Health activities in
the SFSU curriculum. The summer orientation program includes seminars on topics
such as health care disparities, psychosocial aspects of cancer, clinical trial
design, cancer genetics, and patient education/peer counseling. Students are
eligible for a stipend to support their activities.
*Fall/Spring preceptorships where students work on
clinical research under the guidance of their preceptors at UCSF CC and fulfill
the requirements for SFSU MSN clinical courses N-801/802. This experience
includes the opportunity to follow cancer patients through the spectrum of
diagnostic, treatment, and follow-up care and to interact with various members
of the health care team. It could also provide research opportunities for
students in their culminating experience requirement. Students are eligible for
tuition remission while enrolled at SFSU, and are also eligible to earn a
stipend while participating in program activities.
*To help students better prepare for and score well on
the Graduate Records Examination (GRE), the program will provide tuition for
enrollment in a GRE Preparation Course offered by the Princeton Review. Students
will have the opportunity to take a practice GRE exam online, receive results
and feedback to help define strengths and weaknesses, then enroll in the GRE
Prep Course at the location and time that best suits their schedule.
*SFSU/UCSF cooperative activities will also be sponsored
during the year to further assist students in strengthening their applications.
These activities include participation in existing programs, such as Inside UCSF
and the Summer Academic Enrichment Program, as well as new activities designed
specifically for these students (e.g. talks by UCSF faculty on developing strong
goal statements and improving interview skills).
Eligibility Information
Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
-Underrepresented student in the
MSN program at SFSU
-Interest in and qualification for
PhD program
-Good academic standing (overall
GPA of 3.0 or above)
-Recommendation from two SFSU
nursing faculty
Timeline
Interested students may obtain applications from Hilary
Pritchard, the Program Coordinator, Burk Hall 387 or may e-mail the coordinator
at <hpritch@sfsu.edu>. Completed applications are due by the end of March,
students are selected and notified in April or May, and summer programs begin in
June.
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