Training racial and ethnic minority students for careers in public health sciences.

BACKGROUND: A workforce that resembles the society it serves is likely to be more effective in improving health equity for racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the U.S. public health professions. Project Imhotep is operated by Morehouse College with funding and technical assistance from CDC. Imhotep trains racial and ethnic minority students for entry into graduate and professional training programs for careers in the public health sciences. The curriculum focuses on biostatistics, epidemiology, and occupational safety and health with practical training in statistical data analysis, scientific writing, and oral presentation skills. PURPOSE: To describe the Imhotep program and highlight some of its outcomes. METHODS: Data were collected every year by self-administered questionnaire or follow-up telephone and e-mail interviews of students who participated in Imhotep during 1982-2010 and were followed through December 2013. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that 100% of the 481 trained students earned bachelor's degrees; 73.2% earned graduate degrees (53% earned master's degrees, 11.1% earned medical degrees, and 7.3% earned other doctoral degrees); and 60% entered public health careers. CONCLUSIONS: The Imhotep program has improved the representation of racial and ethnic minorities among public health professionals in the U.S. A diverse workforce involving Imhotep graduates could augment the pool of pubic health professionals who make strategic and tactical decisions around program design and resource allocation that impact health in the most affected communities.

A comprehensive examination of the health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of students attending historically black colleges and universities.

There is limited information about African American students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the areas of health behavior, health knowledge, and attitudes. To fill this gap, a comprehensive examination offirst-year students was undertaken at a consortium of HBCUs. A non-random sample of 1115 freshmen were administered a survey that assessed several domains including: (1) demographics, (2) general health, (3) smoking habits, (4) disease risk, (5) weight perception, (6) physical activity, (7) perceived stress, (8) eating habits, (9) social support, (10) personal/family medical history, (11) leadership, (12) domestic violence, (13) substance use, and (14) sexual behavior. In general, most students knew about health behaviors and disease risk. Areas that warrant further exploration include physical activity, sexual behavior, and drug use. The analyses provide key information for health education and prevention.