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The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth has announced the final schedule for Saturday’s Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit, its signature Black History Month event.

The free event, which is being produced by HSC’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, will begin at 9 a.m. in the university’s Medical Education and Training building. The goal of the Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit is to inspire underrepresented minority youth to consider careers in health care and lay the foundation for their success through mentorship and networking. Registration for the summit reached capacity, as 500 third- through 12th-grade students, their parents, educators, health care professionals and community leaders plan to attend.

The keynote speaker for Saturday’s event will be Dr. Garth Graham, director and global head of healthcare for Google/YouTube. Dr. Dale Okorodudu, who founded the organization in 2013 in response to the decreasing number of Black male applicants to medical school, will give an address at the beginning of the event. Performance group The BoykinZ will also perform.

“HSC is honored to have these two accomplished physicians on our campus,” said Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, HSC president. “These men are paragons of their profession, and I believe their presence at our Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit event will inspire future generations of health care providers while building on their legacy of health equity and diversity in medicine.”

Elementary and middle school students attending BMWCx from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. also will participate in activities in HSC’s osteology and anatomy labs and go through a mini medical school. High school and undergraduate students will learn more about careers in health care and take part in clinical activities such as suturing and intubation in the university’s state-of-the-art simulation lab.

The need for BMWCx event in Fort Worth has never been more urgent. A 2020 New England Journal of Science study found that the number of Black men applying to medical school has dropped during the past four decades. While Black male medical students accounted for 3.1% of the national medical student body in 1978, in 2019, they accounted for just 2.9%. Without the contribution of historically Black medical schools, just 2.4% would be Black men. Studies also show that access to care and health outcomes improve when physicians more closely represent the patients they care for, partly because of increased trust.

Schedule of events for Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit

Saturday, Feb. 18

MET Building (corner of Bunting Ave. and Montgomery St.)

9 a.m.

Check-in and breakfast

9:45 a.m.

The BoykinZ live music performance of their single, “Girls Night”

10 a.m.

Welcome

Honorary conference chair presentation by TCOM dean, Dr. Frank Filipetto

HSC president welcome by Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams

10:30 a.m.

Founders’ address by Dr. Dale Okorodudu

11 a.m.-noon

Transition into breakout sessions

Grades 3-5: mini medical school or skeletal system exploration

Grades 6-8: osteology lab or CPR techniques

High school and college students: health profession career exploration presentation or suture clinic with an EM physician

Parents/advisors: student stories/experiences: Journey to the White Coat

11:15-11:45 a.m.

Media availability for Dr. Trent-Adams, Dr. Dale Okorodudu, Dr. Graham and others.

Noon-12:45 p.m.

Lunch

Optional lunch presentation for adults: The Importance of a Happy Healthy Brain, Melissa Peterson, Ph.D. – Institute for Translational Research

12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Breakout session No. 2

Grades 3-5: Mini medical school or skeletal system exploration

Grades 6-8: osteology lab or CPR techniques

High school and college students: intubation/heart sounds or look at organs and body systems or mentorship roundtable

Parents/advisors: Maximize success for Youth to Gain the White Coat or Important Factors to Support Future Doctors

1:30 p.m.

Transition back to MET for the following activities:

97.9 The Beat Street Team radio promotion

360 photo booth with hashtags

The BoykinZ autograph rally rags/photo ops

Community Resource Fair

HSC Info Fair

2 p.m.

Introduction of keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Mosley

Keynote address, Dr. Graham

2:45 p.m.

Black Men in White Coats Moderated Panel

Introduction of moderator and panelists, Dr. Emanuel George

Moderator: Dr. Jabraan Pasha

3:45 p.m.

Closing remarks, Dr. Charles Taylor, HSC provost

4 p.m.

Adjourn

4:15 p.m.

Optional tour led by HSC student ambassadors

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