The FRONTERA summer internship is a cutting-edge, 10-week undergraduate research experience that provides an extraordinary laboratory training opportunity, pairing junior and senior-level scholars with preeminent UA health sciences researchers. This is a premier research experience for undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds, arming them with skills to make them competitive and successful in pursuing post-secondary education and research.
Participants are matched with faculty mentors engaged in biomedical and public health research that impacts border communities. Participants engage in service-learning activities. Concurrently, participants develop an in-depth understanding of the pathway to medical school, including study and test-taking skills, preparations for the MCAT & GRE, and drafting a personal statement. In the final week, participants present the outcome of their research in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC) poster session.
Who should apply?
- All students must be US citizens or permanent residents.
- Undergraduates (juniors and seniors) and recent graduate students interested in medicine, nursing, and public health are welcome to apply.
- At a minimum, applicants should have completed one year in biology and general chemistry
- 3.0. GPA minimum
- Students historically underrepresented in health careers are especially encouraged to apply.
Deadline: February 21, 2025.
Students will receive an invitation to join the program by March 14, 2025.
APPLY HERE
Program Runs from June 2nd through August 4th
- It is a FULL-time program. Students should not seek concurrent employment that may conflict with the program schedule.
- Students are expected to commit to the program and attend all events. (virtually and in-person)
Program Highlights
- Mentorship by a UA biomedical researcher or medical scientist working on translational research
- Master the medical and graduate application process
- Learn about minority health disparities
- Participation in prep courses at no cost on GRE and MCAT to make students more competitive.
- Travel to the border OR rural areas in AZ to learn about health disparity
- Create and present a research poster at UROC.
- Share experiences with students who are pursuing similar goals and objectives
- Students receive a $3,000 stipend for the summer.
For additional information, please reach out to Director Alejandra Zapien-Hidalgo, MD, MPH, at azapien8@arizona.edu
Article published by UAHS media in 2023: https://lnkd.in/gv_j4BVq
In 2024, the AZ HSI Consortium was pleased to announce the FRONTERA Summer Internship Program as an AZ HSI Evidence-Based Practice. After careful review from colleagues across the state of Arizona, the FRONTERA Summer Internship Program was shown to be effective in moving the needle towards greater college access, persistence, retention, transfer, and degree attainment for Latinx students in Arizona.
