Bridge to Medical Training Fellowships
To apply for the Bridge to Medical Training Fellowship, click below.
I dream of becoming a provider and of helping people who are suffering. I feel a duty to help other Afgan people who have never tasted freedom, and with opportunites to realize my dreams. I will celebrate my human right to knowledge and expand this right to others who have been wrongfully deprived. I will prove my strength, intelligence, and ambitious vision to all people who do not believe that Afghan women can become successful professionals. -Fereshteh, 2016 Fellow
The need for medical professionals is expanding much faster than the supply at all levels. Major efforts are needed to train medical workers, yet barriers to entry in the medical professions are significant, often centering on education costs and the need for mentorship. The Bridge to Medical Training Fellowships aim to reduce those barriers, providing motivated people an opportunity to succeed and serve.
Health fields are embracing diversity and cultural competency in the workforce to reduce disparities and discrimination, enhance access to quality care, and foster the community trust and accessibility that is necessary for high functioning services. Our communities are diverse, and we engaging people who may otherwise not have the support necessary to complete training.
As refugee crises deepen, New Haven Connecticut is at the forefront of the U.S. resettlement effort. Refugees have potential for contributing skilled labor and cultural and language diversity, yet they still encounter difficulty finding employment, and face financial hurdles to education. This program aims in part to support the newest members of our community and our nation as they escape persecution and violence.
Our Broad Objectives
1. Build a pathway to health careers
2. Enhance diversity in emergency medicine
3. Support refugee settlement
Our Strategy
To address barriers to training, we provide a package to encourage fellows, iwhich includes scholarships, mentoring and tutoring, clinical shadowing, career guidance, application assistance, learning materials, and equipment for training and beyond. We hope to maintain this relationship throughout each fellow’s training and career. Fellows are invited to serve as key representatives to our advisory committee, informing our continuous improvement and expanding our network and knowledge base. We hope to advance future leaders in the field who may be inspired to serve as mentors for others.
Our Goal
We began our medical careers with entry-level volunteering, and employment, progressing through many levels of education and work including EMT, paramedic, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician, social worker, manager, researcher, and teacher. We have been able to reach our goals only with the generosity, guidance, and dedication of many champions. We believe that with this background and the help of our partners, volunteers, and donors we may have a meaningful impact on others wishing to follow similar paths. To date the program has been a success, and with your donations and a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, we established seven scholarship and mentoring relationships in the EMS and Refugee communities in the first year. We are now forging new partnerships and seeking funding through grants, donations, direct sponsorships, and planned giving that will sustain and expand the program to additional training types, sites, and populations.
Our Partner
We collaborate with local groups to find common goals and resources: IRIS-Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services resettles refugees and asylum seekers in the New Haven area, providing supportive services to enable families from around the world to find safety in America. We have seen them in action and highly recommend that you watch the video on their website for a glimpse of the beautiful work that IRIS does and why we want to support them as much as possible: www.irisct.org
Our Successes
We continue to support students each year, with funding from The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven and private donors. In 2020, we established the Alpha Scholarship Endowment Fund with donor support to guarantee a source of funding for years to come. If you are interested in becoming a legacy donor to the endowment, please let us know!
One of our proudest accomplishments to date has been to assist one of our program graduates as she established her own nonprofit organization, Elena's Light. They are doing great things and their website is well worth a visit!
To date (Jan 2021) we have assisted 6 Fellows with over $12,000 in scholarships.