SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) in Oncology

Abstract Various groups, including women, are underrepresented in the biomedical workforce. Innovative and engaging training programs are needed to further diversify the biomedical workforce. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national shift to virtual education for grades K-16, faculty and staff from five of the nation’s cancer centers and a science education startup collaborated on a shared mission: to inspire young people from diverse communities, who identify as women, to pursue careers in cancer research and clinical care. The result was a pilot program called SHE (Summer Healthcare Experience) in Oncology, a fully virtual, two-week enrichment program for female-identifying high school students from the centers’ respective catchment areas. SHE offers hands-on research experience, career exploration, mentorship, and leadership training, drawing strategically from the unique strengths and resources of the collaborating institutions. During the pilot program, SHE participants reported gains in cancer and career knowledge, research self-efficacy, and belonging over the course of the program. Long term, we anticipate the program will empower young people who identify as women to achieve career success in cancer research and medicine, addressing the critical need for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion within the biomedical workforce. This application will leverage the pilot work to develop SHE into a model for virtual science learning and career exploration, with particular emphasis on broadening participation among women and other underrepresented groups.