Internship to Reduce Disparities in Health Research Professions

1. Internship to Reduce Disparities in Health Research Professions Igda Martinez, Psy.D. Post-Doctoral Fellow Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research Rutgers University www.ihhcpar.rutgers.edu/projectlearn

2. Goals • To increase the number of underrepresented students in health research • To include a broader range of ethnic and cultural perspectives and voices in health research • To enhance the Human, Social and Cultural Capitalof those students so they are successful in graduate school and beyond

3. Objectives • Provide an intensive summer program in preparation for graduate training • Recruit students early in college to foster interest and skills in health research • Encourage close mentoring relationships • Provide support, guidance, and information about graduate school • Train students to communicate health research to broad audiences

4. History • Founded in 1991 as Project L/EARN • Highly successful at preparing underrepresented students for graduate school and research careers. • Funded for past 10 years by NIMH • 10 students per year (8 from Rutgers; 2 recruited nationally) • NIMH no longer funding undergraduate research training • Critical start in college to maintain pipeline for diversifying health research community

5. Three Essential Types of Capital Acquisition of technical skills & substantive health knowledge Incorporation into network of research mentors and alumni Exposure to culture of research and graduate study

6. Structure • Success requires hands-on intensive work on a one-to-one basis with accomplished mentors • 10-week intensive summer program • Academic year internship with mentor • GRE review course • Mentorship in applying to graduate schools

7. Individual Research Experience • One-on-one matching with faculty mentor • Apply concepts & skills from lectures to specific hypotheses and data • Products: • Research paper geared toward publication • Poster presentation • 20-minute symposium presentation

8. Role of the Faculty Mentor • Substantive and research training • Foster educational and career aspirations • Guidance in selection of graduate programs • Immersion and modeling of research culture • 30+ different faculty have served as mentors • Volunteered services • “Time intensive but very rewarding”

9. Mentoring Chains • Faculty mentors • Summer program • Hire interns as research assistants • Oversee undergraduate honors theses • Instructional staff • Course instructor + 2 teaching assistants • Selected from among former interns • Role models for interns • Teaching experience for instructors

10. More Mentoring Chains • Rutgers Center for State Health Policy • Post-baccalaureate research assistantships • Graduate assistantships • Return of alumni as mentors • Faculty mentors in Project L/EARN • Fieldwork supervisors for undergraduate interns • “Senior interns” in research groups assist younger interns

11. Track Record: Graduate Training • Of the 120+ alumni who have already graduated from college • 40 master’s degrees completed or underway • 29 doctoral degrees completed or underway • Median age ~ 29 years • Snapshot early in their careers • 20+ are still undergraduates • Approximately 40% are Latino

12. Track Record: Publications & Presentations • Many interns have had an active role in presenting/publishing research • 60+ peer-reviewed journal articles • 65+ conference presentations • 40+ reports, issue briefs, etc. • 24 interns have 1+ publication • 19 mentors published with 1+ intern

13. Track Record: Career Paths • Careers in wide range of health-related fields • Intern, emergency medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine • Co-director, community mental health clinic, Newark • Staff attorney, Community Health Law Project • Board of NJ Women and AIDS Network • Newark EMA AIDS Health Services Planning Council • Chief of Staff, St. Christopher’s Inc., residential treatment home placement • Maternal and Child Epidemiology Unit, NJ Dept. of Health and Senior Services

14. From airport luggage loader to Assistant Professor • Jeffrey Gonzalez • L/EARN mentor: Howard Leventhal • BA, psychology, Rutgers Univ., 1999 • PhD, clinical psychology, Univ. of Miami, 2005 • Post-doctoral fellowship, behavioral medicine, Mass. General Hospital & Harvard Medical School • Assistant Professor, Psychology, Ferkauf at Yeshiva Univ • Research areas • Treatment adherence and adjustment in chronic illness • Depressive symptoms and medication compliance

15. From 2.8 GPA to NRSA doctoral fellowship recipient • Yamalis Diaz • L/EARN Mentor: Kathleen Pottick • BA, psychology, Rutgers Univ., 2000 • Project coordinator, Center for State Health Policy • Project L/EARN teaching assistant • Doctoral candidate (Ph.D. expected 2009), clinical psychology, Univ. of Maryland, with NIMH NRSA Dissertation Award • Post-doctoral fellowship: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia • Research interests: • Behavioral treatments among minorities • Maternal parenting and children’s behavior problems

16. From psychology major to Latino mental health researcher & clinician • Igda Martínez • L/EARN Mentor: Peter Guarnaccia • BA, psychology, Rutgers Univ., 2002, summa cum laude • Project coordinator, Center for State Health Policy • Project L/EARN teaching assistant • Psy.D., Clinical Psychology, GSAPP with APA Minority Fellowship • Post-doctoral fellowship: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy & Aging Research • Latino mental health: acculturation, health disparities, treatment adherence and stigma