MASON – Mercer University‘s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) collaborates with dr. Earl Stewart Jr., Family Foundation and American College from Doctors (ACP) to secure a place for a Mercer student in the summer 2024 cohort Ryan Mire, MD, Summer Internship Program. Under the new partnership, the Stewart Family Foundation will pay half of the cost of the internship, while the CLAS dean’s office will fund the other half.
“When I personally learned about the opportunity to expose a deserving undergraduate student from an underrepresented group to the functions of organized medicine with the American College of Physicians, I immediately thought of ways our Foundation could sponsor a deserving graduating senior at Mercer’s liberal arts college. Arts and Sciences for a summer internship,” said Earl Stewart Jr., MD, The Dr. Earl Stewart Jr., Family Foundation, Founder and Chairman of the Board. “Diversification of the medical profession is important to us and we are very excited to see this come to fruition.”
The ACP Summer Internship Program aims to help increase diversity within US healthcare by providing an experience that inspires students to consider diverse career options that impact health, medicine and public policy.
“The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is pleased to partner with one of its alumni, Dr. Earl Stewart, and ACP to promote opportunities for minority students interested in pursuing a career in medicine,” said Dr. John Thomas Scott, interim dean Colleges of liberal arts and sciences. “Dr. Stewart exemplifies Mercer’s spirit of giving back to the university and to his profession. This partnership will provide an opportunity for Mercer students to observe some of the best physicians in the country at some of the best medical facilities in the country.”
Ansley A. Booker, director of Mercer’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, said she is thrilled to be a part of this partnership. “It represents not only the compassion and dedication of our distinguished alumni like Dr. Earl Stewart Jr., but also the importance of creating pipelines and pathways for our CLAS undergraduates, especially those who are racially underrepresented in medicine (URIM) ,” she said. “Initiatives like these create opportunities to increase representation and access to education for some of our best and brightest future healthcare professionals.”
ACP’s Chief Strategy Officer, Adrienne White-Faines, expressed the organisation’s delight at the partnership. “Together, we will inspire another diverse representation of young minds to reaffirm their commitment to pursuing careers in medicine and healthcare, ultimately working to advance health equity solutions for populations around the world.”
ACP seeks students who have completed their third year and are currently enrolled in a four-year undergraduate college or university. The organization will begin accepting applications for the 2024 Ryan Mire, MD, Summer Internship Program in February.
About the Dr. Family Foundation Earl Stewart, Jr
The mission of the Family Foundation Dr. Earl Stewart, Jr. is to create and award educational scholarships to African-American youth who meet all individual scholarship criteria, to financially support cultural, historical, performing and visual arts and religious organizations and institutions of Christian worship in the African-American community and those that seek to strengthen and advance the heritage and history of the American-American community . The organization also seeks to financially support other philanthropic and charitable nonprofit corporations recognized under section 501(c) (3).
About the Summer Internship Program by Ryan Mire, MD
Launched in the summer of 2022, the Ryan Mire, MD Summer Internship Program was designed with a dual purpose in mind. First, diversify the healthcare workforce by opening doors to underrepresented communities. Second, to inspire students by educating them about the wide range of fulfilling and impactful careers available in healthcare. With four trainees in the inaugural cohort and 10 in the second year in 2023, the American College of Physicians is laying the foundation for a legacy of education, empowerment and equity.