The purpose of the Della Keats Health Sciences Program is to bring underrepresented minority and underserved students to the UAA campus to learn of the broad range of research and health sciences career opportunities available to them. Students conduct job shadows; have representatives from various health sciences present information on their programs; take courses such as bio-medical ethics and microbiology and genetics of the health professions; tour medical facilities; learn to transition from home to the UAA campus environment; conduct a multi-disciplinary research project; and have fun on and off campus with other Della Keats students. This is a great program and it has been serving Alaska’s youth for over forty years.

The Della Keats Summer Research Program primarily recruits from the previous year, Health Sciences Program’s students but will also accept applications from students that have successfully completed a program such as RAHI or show a strong history of involvement in biomedical research. Students are paired with a UAA researcher and work for that mentor as an intern for the duration of the program. As a part of this internship, students are expected to (with the mentor’s help) design, conduct and analyze an individual research project and to present their results publically at UAA at the end of the program. Students in the Summer Research Program live in the dormitories with the Della Keats Health Sciences students and join in the extracurricular activities.

If you are aware of students who would benefit from this program, please encourage them to apply http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/wwami/programs/dellakeats-udoc.cfm. The application can be mailed or faxed to the following address. If you need additional information, please contact René Contreras, Ed. D., Pathways Coordinator, UAA WWAMI School of Education FAX: 907\786-4700, Della Keats Summer Programs, Health Sciences Building, Room 301, 3211 Providence Dr., Anchorage, Alaska 99058 or [email protected].

Website links of good mention,

http://biomed.uaa.alaska.edu/. The UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education website. Della Keats can be found within the health programs tab.

http://www.healthcareersinalaska.info/ Excellent information on health careers in Alaska, educational requirements, pay rates, and UA schools or national institutions where the training may be taken.

http://cahdre.org/ This is a very good inspirational health programs’ video developed by the Centers for Addressing Health Disparities through Research and Education (CAHDRE) to interest students in careers in the health professions.