Florida State University College of Medicine (FSUCOM) in Tallahassee has an outreach program called Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence (SSTRIDE; https://fla.st/31GY6d6) for middle and high school students in five counties, “serving a diverse group of students, but mainly African American, Hispanic, and rural. SSTRIDE was created...to address the disparity between the need for minority and rural physicians and the pool of qualified applicants,” says Thesla Anderson, SSTRIDE’s founder and FSUCOM’s director of Precollege and Undergraduate Outreach Programs.

“We identify students with an interest in science, math, and health and provide support for them to succeed in preparing for graduate or medical school. We not only help them academically and socially, but also help with their leadership and professional skill development,” Anderson explains.