Conference Offers Support for Students Interested in Pursuing Health Careers
| More than 130 college students from across the state met at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) for the Minority Association of Premedical Students (MAPS) Conference, an event that offers information and networking opportunities for those who are interested in applying for health professional programs.
The Edith Irby Jones Chapter of the Student National Medical Association organized the conference, which helps students from historically excluded groups learn more about UAMS and the admissions process. Participants interacted with UAMS students and faculty members and learned about the university’s academic offerings, including its nursing anesthesia, physician’s assistant and physical therapy programs.
Kathryn Eaton, Ph.D., a second-year medical student and MAPS Conference chair, opened the event by telling attendees about the legacy of Jones, who in 1948 became the first African American admitted to the UAMS College of Medicine.
After Eaton’s remarks, the students split into groups to attend workshops that taught them about UAMS’ colleges and programs. Sharanda Williams, assistant dean for student affairs and diversity in the UAMS College of Medicine, led a session that provided insight into the medical school application process and detailed the requirements for admission.
“I thought the MAPS Conference was a breath of fresh air,” Williams said after the event. “I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with premedical students who have their whole lives and careers in front of them, and I fully expect that I’ll see some of these students in the College of Medicine in the near future.”
Student organizers and volunteers take a group photo during the MAPS Conference.
Another session featured a Black Men in Medicine panel discussion led by Nicholas Pettus, manager of diverse student recruitment in the UAMS Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI). Lee Eaton, a third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Harding University in Searcy, and Evan Hicks and Quincy Gragg, both second-year students in the UAMS College of Medicine, shared details about their academic journeys and their experiences as Black men in health professional schools.
“It was a phenomenal experience to share my journey with the young men and to help encourage them forward into the health care profession,” Lee Eaton said.
Students also received tours of the campus and participated in interactive demonstrations. Kevin Phelan, Ph.D., and David Davies, Ph.D., co-directors of the College of Medicine’s Division of Clinical Anatomy, showed them the gross anatomy lab and provided a glimpse of what it’s like to work with organ specimens.
“I feel honored to have been part of this conference,” said Smit Patel, a second-year medical student who served as a tour guide and student leader during the event. “It was inspiring to see all these premedical students putting in so much effort to learn and be part of the future of medicine.”
The MAPS Conference was held as an in-person event for the first time since 2019. Kathryn Eaton, who attended that conference as a premedical student, said this year’s event provided a valuable opportunity for participants to network with faculty members and students in health professional programs.
“It was incredible to host our first in-person conference since the start of the pandemic and to see such strong attendance and engagement,” she said. “I think it’s an absolute privilege to help usher the next generation into the practice of medicine and to connect these students with the phenomenal opportunities we have at UAMS.”