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Purpose of Study: Since the COVID pandemic began, there have been a dearth of opportunities for pre-medical students to work with practicing physicians. This is even truer in health care shortage areas such as California's impoverished San Joaquin Valley where the majority of its residents live below the poverty line and face a number of socioeconomic and educational hardships. Inequitable educational opportunities, lack of STEM identity, as well as lack of access to local mentors contribute to underrepresentation of individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in STEM professions, including medicine. In partnership with the UCSF Fresno Department of Pediatrics we created a summer virtual Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship to help address some of these issues. Methods Used: This seven-week summer program was directed towards disadvantaged high school and undergraduate students living in the San Joaquin Valley. Four pediatric subspecialists, 4 medical students, 64 undergraduate students, and 4 high school students participated in the program. Participants were divided into specialty teams based on their interests, with each team (burn surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, or pulmonology) led by a medical student and faculty. Overall, this program had three primary components: (1) creating animated medical education videos for use in clinics, (2) hosting patient case study series, and (3) providing mentorship and professional development. Summary of Results: Forty-seven percent of students reported being the first in their family to pursue a STEM-related field. Prior to entering this program, only 50% of students felt strongly confident in their ability to be successful in a STEM-related field, and only 30% had a mentor that they fully trusted for guidance and resources. After completing the seven week program, 93% of students reported that they felt the program allowed them to explore medicine in innovative ways, 88% reported that they had made fruitful connections and now have a mentor and resources to guide them, and nearly 75% of students indicated a desire to address the social and health needs of the San Joaquin Valley as a healthcare professional. Conclusion(s): Our Medical Education Apprentice Fellowship provided disadvantaged students in the San Joaquin Valley with an opportunity to improve their digital literacy skills and medical knowledge while receiving mentorship from medical students and physicians. Grassroots programs such as this that form collaborative partnerships between students and health care professionals can be used to foster future healthcare leaders in order to address the health provider shortage in the San Joaquin Valley while providing underrepresented youth the chance to become healthcare champions.
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The Outreach Program involves Community -engaged Learning that seeks to involve both the classroom and the Christian Brothers University (CBU) biochemistry and chemistry clubs in our K-12 education focused activities. These activities include a regional science fair for middle and high school students, the Chemistry Olympiad local and national competitions, and a summer outreach program for K-5 children who were recent immigrants from war-torn areas of Africa. Students in a seniorlevel research seminar class had an opportunity to put their skills to use by assisting in the judging of research projects conducted by grades 6, 7, and 8 students in our middle school fair which was affiliated with the Broadcom Masters national competition. Students in both the biochemistry and chemistry clubs and the research class have assisted with both the middle school and high school fairs by setting up tables for the presenting students and serving as information guides for the middle and high school students and their parents and teachers who came to our CBU campus to participate in the fairs prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The assistance of our students from the research course and the clubs has enabled us to allow area students from public, private, and home-school to compete in the fairs at no charge to them or their parents or schools. Students from the biochemistry and chemistry clubs also helped by serving as information guides at the Chemistry Olympiad competitions and preparing the lab for the practical experimental section of the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam. These programs are resuming this spring with In-person only fairs and Chemistry Olympiad competitions with active participation by our students. Also prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, students from the biochemistry and chemistry clubs participated in the summer enrichment programs outside CBU for children of recent immigrants from Africa. These programs focused on a variety of STEM related activities related to chemistry, weather, geology, and fractals.Copyright © 2023 The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
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The proceedings contain 549 papers. The topics discussed include: interleukin-2 kinase-mediated T-cell receptor signaling is critical in the development of type 1 diabetes by OT-1 T-cells;the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depression in adolescents in the military population;dollars sense: a school-based effort to increase financial literacy in high school students;fostering the next generation of healthcare leaders in a pandemic world;walkability of San Bernardino county?s elementary schools in relation to various school characteristics;placebo-controlled trial in tanner 2-3 males with Klinefelter syndrome: effect of testosterone gel versus placebo in motor skills outcomes;my implant is expiring: a national secret shopper study of extended use of the contraceptive implant;comparing the effects of aerobic exercise and yoga on stress levels in college students;and are patients with a history of chest radiation therapy at higher risk for sternal wound problems after heart transplant?.
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The aim of this research was to investigate the mediating role of time attitudes in the relationship between self-esteem and resilience in high school students. High school students' self-esteem, time attitude, and resilience have been researched comparatively. The research was carried out with a quantitative research design and survey method. Participants, who were selected using a convenience sampling method, were high school students. The 1,932 participants consisted of students in the following grade distribution: 793 ninth grade (248 male, 545 female);365 tenth grade (78 male, 257 female);350 eleventh grade (90 male, 260 female);and 434 twelfth grade (130 male, 324 female). Participants were selected from secondary education institutions in Sakarya and Kocaeli during COVID-19 from January to May 2021. Data were collected using tools such as the Two Factored Self-Esteem Scale, Adolescent Time Attitude Scale, and Ego Resilience Scale. The data was analyzed with correlation analysis and regression-based mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between self-esteem, time attitude and resilience. The SPSS 22 package program was used to analyze the data. After analyzing the data, it has been concluded that the time attitude in adolescents indeed has a mediating role in the relationship between self-esteem and resilience. The results of the research will make important contributions to the related literature.Copyright © 2023, Pharmaceutical Association of Serbia. All rights reserved.
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The purpose of this study was to examine how coaches perceived the shutdown of sports, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020, impacted the academic performance and mental health of high school student-athletes in north New Jersey. To conduct this study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews asking open-ended questions of 11 coaches from Bergen County who were employed during the 2020 Spring season as coaches and teachers in the high schools they represented. At the base grounding this study was Self-Determination Theory (SDT), as proposed by Ryan and Deci (2000). Through the examination of interview responses, the researcher determined that the shutdown of sports had a negative impact on the academic performance, academic motivation, and mental health of student-athletes. While the impact on the academic performance of student-athletes was perceived to be comparable by some to others in the building, evidence indicated that the shutdown of sports hurt student-athletes because of factors that included social isolation, a lack of physical activity, and the perceived loss of a reason to attend school. The coaches also perceived that the mental health of student-athletes, both male and female, was impacted by the shutdown of high school sports in 2020. Especially impacted by the lockdowns were senior athletes who were hurt because of the loss of opportunities to achieve certain goals in their last year of high school and interference with college opportunities that arose as a result of the shutdown of sports during the pandemic. Lastly, it was found the coaches shared varying recollections in terms of the impact of the shutdown of sports on male athletes compared to female athletes, with the belief that male athletes were more negatively affected, both academically and from a mental health standpoint. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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COVID-19, which has plagued the world since 2020, has brought changes in the order of human life globally, and ultimately has an impact on the psychological state of individuals, including teenagers. The aim of this study is to find the differences between students' gratitude score before and after the implementation of writing gratitude journal regularly. Participants on this study was 20 adolescents in Ambon City Maluku Indonesia, consists of 6 boys and 14 girls. The participants age was between 15-16 years old. Quantitative Method with experimental design used in this study. From the results, it was found that the significant value in the table paired samples correlations was 0.418, meaning that there are relationship between the results of the pre-test and post-test because the value was > sig. 0.05. Although the increase in the value of gratitude among adolescents in Ambon is not too large and increases their classification to be included in the criteria for groups that have sufficient gratitude scores, the important thing explained in implementing gratitude education actually lies in its aim to inspire students that it is important to be grateful in all circumstances. and it's not just about saying thank you or showing grateful behavior. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Introduction. The introduction of COVID-19 screening through rapid antigen tests has become a key mechanism to ensure the continuity of the learning process and safety of school environment during pandemic. The objective of the study was to investigate and analyse the attitudes and beliefs of students, teachers, and parents regarding the rapid antigen test as a method to limit COVID-19 spreading in school environment. Material and methods. An online anonymous survey was conducted among 228 participants, 11th and 12th grade high school students (n=114), teachers (n=44) and parents (n=70) in November 2021. Results. 43.9% of students and 52.9% of parents agree with rapid antigen testing for COVID-19, while over 63.3% of teachers disagree with it. Students (45.6%) and parents (48.6%) shared optimistic expectations that testing for COVID-19 would reduce the spread of the virus in schools, while 59.1% of the teachers surveyed remained sceptical about this prevention measure. The interruption of school classes does not find support among students and parents, as well as among members of the teaching staff. Conclusions. According to students and parents, rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 seems a more acceptable solution than closing school completely. Given the concern of teachers to conduct antigen tests in the school environment, it is necessary to adequately plan the participation of medical professionals in this process, instead of delegating these activities to teachers.Copyright © 2022 Balkan Medical Union.
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In July 2020, Corinth School District was the first in Mississippi to return to the classroom setting. Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) protocols were developed to maintain the safety of students. These included mandatory masking, seating charts, desk spacing, sanitizing protocols, lunch within classrooms, alteration of extracurriculars, cancellation of assemblies, and quarantine policies. Temperature screenings were also performed. Students registering as febrile would undergo Covid-19 testing. To evaluate the efficacy of temperature scanning as a surveillance method for Covid-19 in the school setting, deidentified data was obtained from the Corinth School District. Overall incidence and grade level incidence of Covid-19 were calculated in children attending school from July 27, 2020 to September 25, 2020. Data were examined for a correlation between documented fevers and Covid-19 positivity. Reports provided by the school district were investigated for positive test groupings signifying a school-related outbreak. Of 28 children with fevers at school, zero tested positive for Covid-19. Twenty-six children tested positive for Covid-19;none were febrile at school. The incidence of Covid-19 in our population during the study period was 1.03%. Incidence in elementary students was 0.34%, 0.93% in middle school, and 2.51% in high school students. There were no school outbreaks during the study period. Both relative risk and odds ratio were calculated as equal to zero (0.00). Temperature scanning is not a sensitive screening method for Covid-19 in school children.Copyright © 2023 Policy Studies Organization.
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Background COVID-19 started in China and has spread throughout the world since December 2019. The pandemic has not only brought the risk of morbidity and mortality from infection but also psychological burden. Objective To find out the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on students from high schools, colleges and universities in Nepal, along with examining the association between socio-demographic and other related variables and level of anxiety in the students. Method This study sampled students from Nepal using convenience sampling and responded to a quantitative questionnaire that included the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and other basic information. Finally, 105 respondents were included in the final analysis (100% response rate). Convenient sampling technique was used to gather the sample. Result The results indicated that 18.1% of the respondents were experiencing severe anxiety, 22.9% moderate anxiety, and 25.7% mild anxiety. Moreover, females were more prone to anxiety as compared to males. The results of correlation analysis indicated that economic effects, and delays in academic activities, were positively associated with anxiety symptoms (p < .05). However, social support was negatively correlated with the level of anxiety (p < .001). Conclusion It is recommended that the mental health of students should be monitored during public health emergencies, such as this one. This study examines the psychological impacts of COVID-19 among the college students in Nepal. Copyright © 2020, Kathmandu University. All rights reserved.
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This research paper aims to explore the effect of academic buoyancy among high schools students when the learning system forced them to adopt online teaching platforms during the covid 19 lockdown. Academic buoyancy is the ability of an individual to manage academic challenges and other challenges of schooling. It comprises 5Cs-namely confidence, coordination, commitment, composure and control. These are the five aspects of academic buoyancy which are significant motivational predictors. Academic buoyancy is very important for success in academics because it gives them the capacity to meet challenges and impediments in the education system. This paper has reviewed the related studies to understand the significant role of Academic buoyancy on stress among adolescents. Online questionnaires and online academic performance test are used for data collection. This study shows that academic buoyancy is positively correlated (r= 0.858, N=90,) with students' ability to adapt to the online learning mode. It indicates (p<.001) that there is a significant positive relationship between academic buoyancy and academic performance in the tests administered. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: The WHO SAGE Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix provides vaccine hesitancy solutions based on contextual influences, individual and group influences, and vaccine/vaccination-specific issues. There are limited studies about the impact of using this matrix on high school students to improve their COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates. Research Question or Hypothesis: Can an interprofessional, interactive vaccine hesitancy program change high school student's knowledge of and attitudes for the COVID-19 vaccine? Study Design: Pre-post interventional study. Method(s): An panel of healthcare providers, public health workers, teachers, and religious leaders implemented an interactive curriculum about scientific findings on COVID-19 vaccines, recognizing misinformation, and overcoming COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for underrepresented high school students using matrix principles. Afterwards, participants designed two videos featuring different topics to improve vaccine confidence. Students also applied the principles learned at a COVID-19 pharmacy vaccination clinic event to address vaccinerelated misconceptions in the community. Entry and exit surveys for the participants were collected on a 5-point Likert scale. The McNemar test was used to evaluate changes from non-preferred to preferred responses with an alpha of 0.05. Result(s): Forty-five students (38% 10th grade, 40% 11th grade, 48% Caucasian, 33% African-American) participated in the 4-month program. Significantly more students agreed in post-tests, chi2(1, N = 31) = 4.167, p = 0.0412, that: "I have adequate knowledge about SARSCoV- 2 disease." More students agreed in post-tests, chi2(1, N = 31) = 6.750, p = 0.0094, that: "I have adequate knowledge about the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine." Overall, 25 students (64%) agreed that "I have talked to my peers about information I learned during the program". Finally, 20 students (51%) agreed that "I am comfortable serving as a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ambassador where I can promote the SARSCoV- 2 vaccine to my community." Conclusion(s): This program increased the knowledge and attitudes of underserved students in vaccine hesitancy while being actively engaged in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic that was disproportionately affecting their community.
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Background: The worldwide spread of COVID-19 infection and its preventive measures has resulted in global disruption of overall functioning of the individuals. In the post-COVID period, several stressors associated with the pandemic have exacerbated adjustment problems in students and impacted their mental health. Purpose(s): The study aims to assess the Academic Stress and Emotional Adjustment of male and female secondary school students in Uttar Pradesh, post-COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Method(s): A sample of 500 students from various schools in Uttar Pradesh pursuing high school were included in the study. A purposive sampling technique was employed for data collection based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Scale for Assessing Academic Stress and the Adolescents Emotional Adjustment Inventory were used to assess the academic stress and emotional adjustment of secondary school students post-COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Result(s): The results of the study revealed that there was a significant difference in academic stress and emotional adjustment between male and female secondary school students. A significant positive relationship between academic stress and emotional adjustment was found, which indicates a high level of academic stress perpetuates emotional maladjustment. Furthermore, it was found that the level of academic stress and emotional adjustment were higher among females as compared to males. Conclusion(s): It can be concluded that the extended impact of COVID-19 has led to a surfeited level of distress propounding that females are more predisposed to academic stress and tend to have poor emotional adjustment than their male counterparts. Copyright © 2022 Indian Academy of Neurosciences (IAN).
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Objectives: There has been much concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social restrictions on adolescent health. The aim of the present study was to compare symptoms and prevalence rates of insomnia, anxiety and depression between prepandemic times and the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, in a large sample of Norwegian adolescents. Method(s): The longitudinal survey was conducted in a large sample of high school students (16-17 years old), and included the Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS), the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Wave 1 was conducted in spring 2019 and wave 2 in spring 2020, during the last 10 days of a 60-day long, COVID-19-related, school lockdown period. A total of 2249 students responded in both survey waves, representing 60.2% of the invited cohort. Statistical analyses included paired-samples ttests and McNemar's tests, the latter with dichotomous proxies of insomnia disorder (based on BIS) and anxiety/depression (GAD-7/ PHQ-9 scores >=10, indicating moderate to severe symptom levels) as dependent variables. Result(s): The BIS score was slightly reduced from 12.3 +/- 8.4 in 2019 to 11.9 +/- 8.2 in 2020 (p = 0.028), but the prevalence rate for insomnia remained stable (33.4% vs. 33.6%, p = 0.896). Similarly, the GAD-7 score was reduced from 5.9 +/- 4.9 in 2019 to 5.6 +/- 4.6 in 2020 (p = 0.014), but the prevalence rate for anxiety remained unchanged (19.8% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.316). The PHQ-9 score increased from 7.5 +/- 5.7 in 2019 to 7.9 +/- 5.6 in 2020 (p < 0.001), and the prevalence rate for depression increased accordingly (28.7% vs. 32.1%, p = 0.002). Conclusion(s): The prevalence of depression amongst Norwegian high school students increased during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times, whereas prevalence rates for insomnia and anxiety remained unchanged. More longitudinal research is needed to increase our understanding of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated social restrictions on adolescent sleep and mental health.
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OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the drawing characteristics of the house-tree-person drawing test (HTP) in junior high school students with depressive symptoms. METHODS: A total of 167 junior high school students were recruited and completed HTP and questionnaires. 12 drawing characteristics of HTP were extracted and compared to explore the potential drawing characteristics of depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Among 12 drawing characteristics, eight drawing characteristics appeared more frequently in the depressed group (CES-D ≥ 20) than in the non-depressed group (CES-D < 20), while one drawing characteristic appeared with a lower frequency. Further, controlling for the risk perception of COVID-19, seven drawing characteristics, not suggestive of movement, lacking details, blackening the paper, drawing in an only dark color, drawing a detailed crown, hands behind the back, and omitting expression, emerged as predictors of depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 20) in junior high school students. CONCLUSION: Seven drawing characteristics of HTP are significantly associated with depressive symptoms in junior high school students. HTP is insightful for early screening for junior high school students with depressive symptoms.
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Blended learning can createlearning skills and solve teachingproblems of high school students in the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can manage active learning manual by themselves to study the basic physics content by science technology engineering art and mathematic applied inthe young physicists’ tournament andphysics project at regional and national levels. The student target has higher learning skills and teamwork outcomes than before use blended the activities and best practise. The learning achievement was significantly higher than before at the .05 level. Students can improve their learning skills and teamwork applied in physics project to get many awards and publications at high level.
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Pandemic has not only brought significant changes in the world’s economy. The educational sector has also made abrupt adjustments just to cater to the needs of learners. Among the solution that wasrealized in the Philippines was the implementation of the blended learning modality. Public schools prepared digital and printed copy of modules which will serve as the self-learning kit of the students when the face-to-face teaching was not possible due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Aligned to this context, the present study aimed to gauge the cognitive performance of the students and to know the extent of the usage of digital and printed modules. Utilizing a quantitative approach, the data revealed that the Senior High school students showed similar extent of using the digital and printed module during the implementation of the blended learning modalities. Both were extensively utilized by the respondents. This explains that student’s agreement on the usage of digital copy of the module may be because of their ability on the digital technologies, the availability of gadgets and the internet connectivity knowing for a fact that the research locale is a highly urbanized city. Therefore, the study recommends t hat teachers may consi der the preference of st udent s whether to use di gi tal, pri nted modul e or whatever modal i t i es that are appropri ate to the l earni ng scheme of the st udents.
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This study investigated the parallel mediating effects of positive and negative mood states on the relationship between psychological resilience and emotional stability among first- through third-year senior high school students in China during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of 408 questionnaires distributed from April 11 to April 22, 2022, to students at a high school located in Changzhou, Jiangsu, China, 360 were completed correctly and analyzed using a cross-sectional study design. The questionnaire included items from the modified Chinese version of the Psychological Resilience Scale, the Profile of Mood States scale, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Short Scale in Chinese, the latter to assess emotional stability. The mediating effects of mood states on the relationship between psychological resilience and emotional stability were explored by using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping methods. The results indicated that psychological resilience directly affected emotional stability but also indirectly affected emotional stability through the mediating effects of positive and negative mood states. The mediating effect of negative mood states was greater than that of positive mood states. This result differs from that of research conducted prior to the pandemic, which found that compared with the damage caused by negative moods to emotional stability, positive moods more strongly promoted emotional stability. Our findings indicate that high school officials in China should consider strengthening mental health support for students who are taking courses online during home quarantine.
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Background: E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product by U.S. adolescents. Prior research shows that school-based e-cigarette prevention education was associated with reduced actual and intended use of e-cigarettes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, such e-cigarette education was delivered through virtual teaching in addition to in-person classes. The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of e-cigarette prevention curriculum delivered virtually compared to in-person sessions in improving e-cigarette-related knowledge and reducing adolescents' intent to try e-cigarettes. Methods: A 30- minute educational presentation on e-cigarettes based on the Stanford Tobacco Prevention Toolkit was delivered to middle and high school students in Alabama from November 2020-May 2021. Study participants were divided into two groups based on the mode of receiving the presentation: 1) by an in-person educator (“in-person group”) and 2) by an off-site educator presenting through a recorded video or a video chatting platform (“virtual group”). The presentation covered e-cigarette contents, health effects, nicotine addiction and marketing. Using a quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention group study we assessed students' e-cigarette-related knowledge and perceptions on 15 questions, and intent to try e-cigarettes. Descriptive statistics were summarized for the total sample, in-person group and virtual group. Within-subject and within-group analyses were conducted for all perceptions and intent to try Amelia Warnock, MPH;Shelby Kile, MPH;Shivani Mathur Gaiha, PhD;Clementino Vong Do Rosario, n/a;Kennon Brake, n/a;tobacco products using McNemar's chi-squared exact tests of paired proportions. Between-group analyses were conducted using multi-level mixed-effects regression models to assess treatment effects by group and time on perceptions, addictiveness and intent to try e-cigarettes after adjusting for school-level clustering effects. Independent variables included grade (high school vs middle school) and race/ethnicity. Results: Study participants were drawn from 10 schools and included 1031 total participants. 745 participants were in the virtual group (72.3%) and 286 participants were in the in-person group (27.74%). See participant characteristics in Table 1. Within-subject and within-group analyses showed positive significant changes after education in 8 out of 15 e-cigarette-related perceptions (for both groups), increase in perceived addictiveness among the virtual group and reduced intent to try e-cigarettes, particularly among the in-person group. Within-subject changes were more pronounced among high school participants. Time x group interaction effects show the in-person presentation was more effective compared to the virtual group at improving knowledge of e-cigarette nicotine content and delivery through aerosol and health effects (see Table 2). There was no significant difference in the treatment effect by study group on perceived addictiveness and intent to try e-cigarette products. Conclusion: In our study, a one session in-person educational presentation was not more effective than virtual on student knowledge, perceived addictiveness and intended behavior. There were select aspects of knowledge that improved among students receiving in-person education. (Table Presented).
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Background: The Mentorship Educational Directive (MED) Program is a medical student-run initiative connecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) high school students interested in healthcare with BIPOC medical student mentors. Early health career pipeline programs contribute to achieving health equity by working to assure an adequate and culturally representative health workforce, which is shown to improve access to, and quality of health services for underserved populations. The Health Education Resource Opportunity (HERO) program is a community program focused on increasing the number of underrepresented high school students in STEM fields. The MED program partnered with HERO to add a medical student mentorship component with first- and second- year medical students. Methods: Medical student leaders used a structured virtual platform for mentor/mentee engagement. The HERO program recruited mentees, and student leaders recruited mentors who completed extensive training and were paired via a speed-matching system. Student leaders conducted group sessions on Zoom using breakout rooms and videos as learning tools for demonstrations before students practiced techniques and concepts with their mentors. Mentors and mentees also participated in individual meetings. Following the program, mentors completed reflection questionnaires. We used descriptive and in vivo coding to analyze themes from the questionnaires. Results: Mentors valued the program's structure, created cultural connections, became comfortable having difficult conversations, and felt empowered to mentor students. One of the most common themes was about mentorship;mentors stated they would seek additional opportunities to be mentors and that early mentorship is essential. Shared racial and cultural identities created a deeper connection between mentors and mentees. Mentors found comfort in discussing sensitive topics with their mentees and peers. Conclusion: The MED Program facilitated engagement between medical student mentors and high school mentees using a virtual platform. Three themes emerged from the reflection questionnaires, including cultural connections and shared identities, empowerment of mentors, and comfort with conversations about sensitive topics. These are important findings since studies have shown that sustained relationships and community partnerships enhance students' abilities in higher education. Our findings are a positive step in that direction since mentors expressed satisfaction in their mentoring relationships and felt like they made a positive impact on the students' life and education. The HERO program is currently working with a new set of MED medical student leaders, planning for the coming year and addressing areas for improvement. Overall, we concluded that a virtual BIPOC student mentorship program was a rewarding and meaningful experience for medical students. Areas for further study include analysis of high school student responses and expansion to additional communities. We anticipate that similar programs could potentially expand the network of BIPOC physicians and healthcare leaders, in turn inspiring upcoming generations of potential healthcare providers.