Baptist Health Sciences University hosts seventh Black Men in White Coats youth summit

Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 22, 2025 – Baptist Health Sciences University welcomed more than 700 students, parents and professionals to the annual Black Men in White Coats: Building Diverse Health Care Professionals Summit, an event designed to inspire students from elementary school through college to pursue careers in medicine and science.

“We are excited to welcome students and parents back for our annual Black Men in White Coats Summit,” said Lilian Nyindodo, professor of biomedical sciences at Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine and co-chair of the Baptist Health Sciences University HealthCORE initiative. “Black Men in White Coats aligns with our mission to support students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math. This event is part of our HealthCORE program, which aims to promote equal access to opportunities for all students interested in working in the medical field.”

During this free event, students learned about health care career opportunities, financing for higher education and other resources and support; participated in hands-on demonstrations; attended two panel discussions led by physicians and students about preparing for medical school and how to succeed as a white coat professional; and connected with local health care professionals through speed networking. Featured speakers included Dr. Ted Lyons, clinical pharmacist and chief executive officer with Shot Rx 901; Tony Beard, laboratory director for Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi; Dr. Fred Pete, a chiropractor with R.E.D Chiropractic; and Dr. Winfred B. Abrams Jr., an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoSouth, for the White Coats Professionals panel. Medical students from Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center led the second panel. A Q&A session followed to give attendees the chance to engage with speakers and ask questions regarding their experiences in the medical field.

Baptist Health Sciences University HealthCORE exposes students to health care careers while providing resources, mentorship and support to help them succeed. Baptist Health Sciences University launched this initiative after hosting its first Black Men in White Coats summit in 2018.

Baptist became a sponsor of the Memphis chapter of the National Black Men in White Coats initiative in October 2023. The initiative was founded in response to a 2015 Association of American Medical Colleges report that revealed fewer African American males applied to and graduated from medical school in 2014 than in 1978, despite an overall increase in Black male college graduates.

Baptist Health Sciences University (formerly known as Baptist College of Health Sciences) was started in 1912. BHSU offers 15 programs of study, including the College of Osteopathic Medicine, which accepted its first class of students in fall 2024. In 2017, the Memphis Business Journal ranked the school first among Memphis-area colleges and universities for the best return on investment. Based on a comparison of postgraduate earnings with cost of attendance, BHSU alumni earn more than graduates of any other college or university in the area. Visit www.baptistu.edu for more information.

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This article was originally published on Baptist Online.