CSIDPAR
(Chicago Summer Institute for the Development of Physicians & Researchers)
Chicago Institute for the Development of Physicians and Researchers (pronounced "sid-par") is a collection of summer programs especially designed for the development of our mentees in the areas of clinical medicine, health equity and research.
We are excited to introduce this brand new programming. The applications are expected to open summer of 2022. We are excited to present opportunities for our mentees that are rising high school juniors and seniors through college and the post-bacc years. Most programs will provide a competitive stipend and will run from 8-10 weeks. Bus passes will be provided. We will require full-time residency in Chicago during the summer and a commitment to complete the program from start to finish. Students will NOT be allowed to work elsewhere.
CSIDPAR Programs Available
JESSE BROWN VA SUMMER SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Jesse Brown VA Summer Clinical Immersion Program resulted from the collaboration between the community based Physician Mentoring Pipeline Program, I Am Abel Foundation and the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Hospital, specifically the Jesse Brown for Black Lives Task Force. Recognizing the need for our major academic and training institutions to lead the way in promoting diversity in both society and medicine, we combined our collective research and vision. It is our fervent belief that through our investment in these exceptional Chicago area youth, we will help to close the healthcare equity and death gaps that selectively impact vulnerable, underserved and minority communities. Our shared goal is to diversify the fields of medicine by preparing underrepresented youth to serve their communities with passion, purpose and excellence.
The Jesse Brown VAMC Clinical Immersion Experience provides underrepresented pre- medical students an unparalleled opportunity to gain clinical exposure, while simultaneously attending lectures and completing a quality improvement project. Further, this program provides underrepresented medical students the opportunity to develop and teach lectures, apply their medical knowledge through clinical exposure, strengthen leadership skills through supervision of premedical students, and learn about the intricacies of the VA medical system. The Jesse Brown VA Clinical Immersion Program aims to provide pre-med students an unparalleled clinical, educational, and service experience that will prepare them for their journey in medicine. The selection process for the scholars is highly selective.
Students chosen to participate, have a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a career in medicine and are committed to becoming our next generation of healthcare heroes that will one day provide the highest level of compassionate, competent, and culturally sensitive healthcare to vulnerable populations including many of our U.S. Veterans.
The programs will be hosted at Chicago area academic centers and hospitals and will provide the kinds of clinical experiences that are more common amongst medical students. We will also be launching our first ever Developmental MCAT Program which is designed to break the MCAT into a Two Summer Study Plan. All of our programs will incorporate Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills as we believe that success in this area of the MCAT must begin early. Our goal with all of our programming, as always, is to help raise the next generation of healthcare heroes. Be advised that COVID-19 restrictions may alter some programming.
DEAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The DEAL (Diversity Education Advocacy and Leadership) Fellowship represents a wonderful collaboration between the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration, specifically the Jesse Brown for Black Lives Task Force and I Am Abel Foundation.
It is designed to provide a powerful leadership opportunity for Chicago area medical students, specifically, rising M-2s, underrepresented in medicine and includes powerful alliances with the University of Illinois College of Medicine and other area healthcare and social programs. Our DEAL Fellows will be in a leadership role working with the Jesse Brown VA Summer Clinical Immersion Scholars who are all pre-med students and mentees of I Am Abel Foundation with at least one year of involvement in our clinical immersion pipeline programs.
This year, all participating scholars will be rising 2nd year college students or beyond and within 1-3 years of applying to medical school. They will have a broad range of clinical opportunities at the Jesse Brown VA, UIC College of Medicine and Cook County Health that include everything from shadowing on the general internal medicine inpatient teams to working in every area from Emergency Medicine to Radiology. They will also be responsible for a number of projects.
The Jesse Brown VA Summer Clinical Scholars program recognizes the need for our major academic and training institutions to lead the way in promoting diversity both in society and medicine. We have therefore combined our collective research and vision in creating an exceptional summer clinical scholars’ program that is led by none other than talented Chicago area medical students that are committed to diversity, education, advocacy, and leadership.
The DEAL Fellowship provides underrepresented medical students the opportunity to develop and teach lectures, apply their medical knowledge through clinical exposure and strengthen their leadership skills through supervision of premedical students while learning the intricacies of the VA Medical System. Our shared goal is to diversify the fields of medicine by preparing underrepresented young people to serve as we work to close the healthcare equity and death gaps that selectively impact vulnerable, underserved and minority communities.
I AM ABEL FOUNDATION offers two MCAT program opportunities exclusively for I Am Abel Foundation active mentees in good standing.
The Summer MCAT INTENSIVE is a 12 week Summer Program with stipend. It requires FULL-TIME, in-person attendance. Our Fall/Spring MCAT INTENSIVE runs from October - April and requires at least 20-40 hours time commitment. There is no stipend.
Both Programs include:
● 3rd party test prep materials at no additional cost (i.e. Blueprint, UWorld, AAMC etc...). This can cost up to $4k if students purchased on their own.
● Personalized and Group Tutoring and Coaching
● Quiet, bright, clean and friendly study environment (Summer Program Only)
● Paid parking reimbursement (Summer Program Only)
● Stipend (Summer Program Only) so you will not have the added responsibility of working while studying
● Group Coaching/Tutoring
● Private 1:1 tutoring (customized and up to 4hr weekly)
● Critical Analysis and Reasoning (CARS) Weekly Coaching
● Summer Intensive Applications are open March 18, 2024 - April 30, 2024. Sessions begin May 28, 2024 (with prep requirements given in advance).
● Fall/Spring Intensive Applications will be open in August.
Program requirements:
I Am Abel Foundation’s Summer or Fall MCAT students must be prepared to apply for admission to medical school in the upcoming application cycle (i.e. Summer 2024 MCAT students MUST apply Summer 2025. Fall 2024/Spring 2025 MCAT students must also apply by the summer of 2025). As such, your grades must be competitive for entrance into medical school at the time you are accepted into our MCAT program. Also, ACTIVE mentees of I Am Abel Foundation will be given preference in this process, particularly for those in the summer (stipend) program.
Both programs require:
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Your grades MUST be competitive for entrance into medical school at the time you are accepted into our MCAT program
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Be a CURRENT mentee of I Am Abel Foundation
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Minimum GPA of 3.5 in either your COMPLETED undergraduate, post bacc, or graduate science program
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You can NOT participate in the summer program if you will need to attend summer classes or have outstanding classes
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Also can NOT have time off for vacations. Students can NOT TAKE MORE than 2 days off for the entire summer
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Proof of registration for one of the upcoming MCAT exams MUST be uploaded or provided prior to acceptance into the program.
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Must take proctored diagnostic exam (Full Length AAMC Sample Exam) with a minimum score of 493 (summer program only due to the speed of the course)
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Must complete an orientation prior to start of session
MENTAL HEALTH IMMERSION PROGRAM
The Mental Health Immersion Program (MHIP) was created through the combined efforts of the Jesse Brown VA, the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, and the I Am Abel Foundation.
This program aims to provide college students from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds with exciting clinical and educational exposure to careers in mental health. This exciting new program will run for 8 weeks at both VA sites and will provide a stipend for students plus transportation. For I Am Abel mentees interested in careers in mental health, this is an outstanding opportunity!
Questions regarding the application should be sent to Student Coordinator, Magnolia Oliver at magnoliver@sbcglobal.net