Inspiring and Preparing Young Women of Color to Enter Medical Professions

K-12 STEAM education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The underinvestment in public STEM education disproportionately hinders the academic and professional success of students of color and negatively impacts their communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the shortage of medical professionals practicing in the predominantly minority, low-income neighborhoods in LA that are home to the majority of GALA’s students, and where 4 million people reside in health care deserts. People of color will make up the majority of Californians by 2030 but are vastly underrepresented in the health workforce. Research shows that patients whose physicians look like them and speak their language experience higher levels of well-being and satisfaction with care and objective improvements in clinical outcomes. Equally important, newly trained physicians of color return to their communities to practice at higher rates. If we fail to cultivate a diverse health workforce, we risk further exacerbating health disparities in already underserved communities.

GALA has a rigorous science curriculum that includes high school courses in Physiology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP Physics, a Pathways to Medicine program for 7th graders, and health-focused integrated projects for all middle schoolers. This grant would enable GALA to start building a state-of-the-art biology and physiology lab that will take the science education of our diverse student body to the next level and cultivate the next generation of women and minority physicians. The first step toward this goal would be to acquire an Anatomage virtual dissection table - the most technologically advanced 3D anatomy visualization and virtual dissection tool for anatomy and physiology education. Currently, hands-on dissection - an integral part of Physiology - is performed on either a fetal pig or a cat, with no comparable alternative for students who opt out. The Anatomage Table would allow GALA to replace animal dissection with virtual dissection of a simulated human cadaver that is realistic, hands-on, and accurate. The Anatomage Table would give students clear, interactive visuals to bridge the cognitive leap required to understand higher-level concepts taught in AP Biology. The Anatomage Table would enable our teachers to more effectively engage students in the subject of human anatomy, inspiring a new generation of girls of color to pursue careers in medicine, alleviating the physician shortage and increasing access to healthcare in LA's most underserved communities.

GALA's vision is to provide girls, particularly girls of color, with a pathway to college in STEM fields. Acquiring the Anatomage Table would be a huge step toward building a state-of-the-art biology and physiology lab that will encourage more girls of color to pursue careers in medicine, eventually increasing access to healthcare in LA and strengthening our communities. GALA already has a proven track record of sending girls of color to college in STEM fields at a rate that is twice the national average. GALA students, by virtue of their diversity and the school’s commitment to academic excellence, are the perfect candidates to return to serve their communities as medical professionals. Comprehensive health care contributes to the stability that people need to meet other pressing needs, such as housing, food and education. An investment in building a healthcare career pipeline at GALA would reap enormous long-term returns for Los Angeles as a whole.

GALA can measure the impact of its single-gender STEM-focused curriculum. First, all of GALA's graduating classes have a a 100% graduation and college acceptance rate, and the percentage of graduates intending to major in STEM fields is at least double the national rate. Second, student success stories are inspiring, and demonstrate the real-life impact that a public school can have on ambitious girls who have an interest in STEM. Third, if we are able to acquire the Anatomage Table, we can measure increased interest in health sciences by surveying students after they take a class that utilizes the new technology. As GALA builds its medical career pipeline, we can track healthcare-related college majors, medical school enrollment, and professional paths. To further assess the impact of GALA’s state-of-the art biology and physiology lab, we can identify the geographic areas where GALA graduates who become medical professionals choose to practice.