Black Men In White Coats Youth Summit Comes to Connecticut

The Black Men In White Coats Youth Summit will be the first in Connecticut. 

On Saturday, November 9, over 1,200 students, young people and their parents/guardians will come together at the Palace Theatre for the inaugural Connecticut event. Featuring BMWC’s founder, Dale Okorodudu, M.D., as keynote speaker, dozens of Black physicians and health care professionals will be on hand to address and mentor young people. Breakout sessions and special exhibits located at the adjacent UConn Waterbury campus will deliver hands-on experiences to students at the event. Parents and caregivers will enjoy personalized talks on the “how to” aspects of pursuing higher education for their children and overcoming barriers that may be present. The afternoon will culminate with a panel session, Black Men and Women In White Coats, where our providers will share their perspective on the journey to a health care career.

Dr. Dale Okorodudu, now a Pulmonary/Critical Care physician in Texas, launched BMWC, with the goal of empowering young Black boys and girls to pursue excellence in medicine and beyond. He was inspired by the 2013 Association of American Medical College (AAMC) report highlighting the decreasing number of black male applicants to medical school, to the point where fewer black men were applying in 2014 than in 1978.

The organization has grown since that time, ultimately launching BMWC Youth Summits, locally organized events that bring together health care professionals for the single purpose of providing underrepresented minority youth with exposure to the medical field.

Currently, across the United States, nearly two dozen summits are held with several health systems including Brown, Cedars Sinai, Stony Brook, Hillcrest, White Plains, Cone Health, University of Missouri, UCLA and Kaiser Permanente. Connecticut remained off the map until now.

The BMWC Summit is a natural progression for Saint Mary’s. As a member of Trinity Health Of New England, Saint Mary’s is committed to addressing root causes in medical disparities through a variety of community initiatives including the Summer Shadowing Program bringing young adults into the hospital during the summer for a week-long exposure to front-line health care being delivered at Saint Mary’s Hospital. Saint Mary’s also participates in the Waterbury Promise Scholarship program, with the goal of encouraging and empowering Waterbury students to pursue higher education.

The Black Men In White Coats Youth Summit will be held on Saturday, November 9, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., at the Palace Theatre and UCONN Waterbury Campus, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury.

For more information on our event or Black Men In White Coats visit www.trinityhealthofne.org/BMWC.