Mentoring Multicultural Students for Health Professions

Program Overview and Achievements

The mission of MEMS is to increase the number of trained professionals for the health professions who desire to work with underserved populations. The MEMS Program, which began in 1993 as a grant-funded cooperative program with Florida A&M University, focuses on the common challenge of needing a high quality, diverse work force. MEMS is consistent with national priorities as evidenced by Healthy People 2010, the Institute of Medicine’s Ensuring Diversity in the Health-care Workforce and the Sullivan Commission’s Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions. Currently, diverse groups make up about 30% of the U.S. population but only 9% of nurses, 6% of medical doctors and 5% of dentists are from diverse backgrounds. Similar trends are noted in Florida. Using the three pillars of Professional Development, Social Support and Recognition, MEMS is a model program that facilitates degree attainment and professional preparation of students from a variety of backgrounds who desire to enter health professions and to improve the health condition of undeserved populations.

MEMS Outcomes as of Spring 2010

• 132 students are currently in or have completed MEMS
• 99 students have completed MEMS, including 13 completing Advanced MEMS
• 95 (95.9%) have graduated (compared to 65% FSU graduation rate)
• 23 (24.2%) completing/completed master's degrees
• 23 (24.2%) completing/completed professional school (6 public health, 4 physical therapy, 4 medicine, 3 dentistry, 3 pharmacy, 2 chiropractic, 2 nursing)
• 4 completing/completed the Ph.D.

Graduate/Professional School Placements

Lorenzo Amato, USF (nursing)

Alvaro Bada, FSU (medicine)

Inaki Bent, Nova (D.O.)

Sharica Brookins, Morehouse (master’s, public health), Meharry (medicine)

Tunisia Marine Carter, FSU (master’s, motor learning and control)

Yashica Ceasar, FSU (master's, nutrition)

Deirdra Chester, FSU (master's, nutrition, FIU, Ph.D., nutrition)

Cerrone Cohen, Medical University of South Carolina (medicine)

Evelyn Davila, FIU (masters's, public health; Ph.D., public health)

Tej Diah, FSU (master’s, exercise science)

Rochelle Gordon, Nova Southeastern (master's, special education)

Joe Green, Cleveland Chiropractic School (chiropractic)

Kim Griffin, USF (master’s, public health)

Nadia Groves, U. of Pennsylvania (dentistry)

Samantha Hacker, Nova Southeastern (pharmacy)

Michelle Harper, FSU (medicine)

Darlene Hart, New York University (dentistry)

Crystal Hightower, Mississippi State (master's, nutrition)

Joshua Golden, A.T. Still University (master’s, public health, dental emphasis)

Alana Hopewell, FSU (master's, food and nutrition)

Navalee Hylton, FSU (master’s, food and nutrition)

Anne-Lynn Jean-Baptist, U. of Michigan (master's, public health)

Kimberly C. Johnson, St. Augustine (physical therapy)

Roselette Joseph, FAMU (public health)

Alpha Journal, Nova (master’s, health sciences)

Susie Mathis, FSU (master’s, nutrition)

Bethie Melidor, FSU (master’s, nutrition)

Vernet Morency, FAMU (master's, physical therapy)

Erika Potter Morgan, FSU (master's, health education)

Kenya Morris, Tulane (master's, public health)

Dykibra Montgomery, FSU (master's, nutrition)

Kevin Prophete, U. of Miami (master's, business administration)

David Quintana, Duke (medicine)

Calvin Randolph, George Washington University (master’s, health science, physical therapy)

Diego Rouylle, Nova Southeastern (dentistry)

Aseelah Shareef, FSU (master’s, arts administration)

Latosha Solomon, USF (master’s, physical therapy)

Michael Solomon, North Carolina Central (master's, nutrition)

Jevetta Franklin Stanford, Kansas State (master’s, urban and regional planning), UNF (Ph.D., education)
Deja Stephenson, (pharmacy)

Vista Suarez, FSU (master's, nutrition), Kansas State (Ph.D., food service)

Jessica Tillman, U. of South Carolina (master's, public health)

Breanna Williams, Southern Illinois (dietetic internship)

Jaleena Wortham, FSU (master's, nutrition)

Javier Vazquez, FSU (master’s public health)

 

Advanced MEMS Projects

• Alvaro Bada, "Comparison of cardiovascular responses between resistance trained and untrained men and cardiovascular effects of oral L-arginine on resistance trained men" (Arturo Figueroa, Ph.D., mentor)
• Sharica Brookins, "Perception of Physical Activity and Physical Characteristics of Adult African American Women in Providence Community of Tallahassee, FL" (Lynn Panton, Ph.D., mentor)
• Cleveland Bryant, "Regulation of Cell Integrity by Dietary Copper" (Cathy Levenson, Ph.D., mentor)
• Evelyn Davila, "Eating Disorder Prevention Program for Hispanic Females" (Penny Ralston, mentor)
• Jevetta Franklin, "Soulful Taste of Tallahassee: Characteristics and Needs of African American Owned Restaurants" (Penny Ralston, Ph.D., mentor)
• Samantha Hacker, "Age-related Effects of Blocked and Random Practice Schedule on Learning a New Technology by Older Individuals" (John Shea, Ph.D., mentor)
• Crystal Hightower, "Reducing Chronic Disease Risk Factors Associated with Food Consumption by Middle School Students and Adults" (Jenice Rankins, mentor)
• Alpha Journal, "Anti-inflammatory Effects of Celery Extract on Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophage Cells" (Bahram Arjmandi, Ph.D., mentor)
• Bethie Melidor, "Zinc Deficiency Induces Sex Specific Symptoms of Depression" (Cathy Levenson, Ph.D., mentor)
• David Quintana, "HDAC Localization to the Brain and Relationship to Neuro-degeneration" (Charles Quimet, mentor)
• Kimberley Rose, "Differences in Serum Zinc Concentrations and Neuronal Stem Cells in Male and Female Rats" (Cathy Levenson, Ph.D., mentor)

Further reading on the MEMS program:

Ralston, P. (2003). Diversifying the Health Professions: A Model Program. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(3),235-245.

For more information about this project, please contact:

Penny A. Ralston, Ph.D.
FSU Center on Better Health and Life for Underserved Populations
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2641
(850) 645-8110 Telephone
(850) 645-8109 Fax
pralston@fsu.edu