Background

The Center of Excellence (COE) program, funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, it was established to assist designated health profession schools and other public and non-profit, or educational institutions strengthen the national capacity to produce a culturally competent healthcare workforce, whose diversity is representative of the U.S. population.

The Center of Excellence (COE) program is designed to strengthen the national capacity to train under-represented minority students in various health profession fields. The Center of Excellence program is designated to certain Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and/or colleges or universities that have a history of a high enrollment of Hispanic or Native American students. These colleges or universities are required to have a health Professions School of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Dentistry, or Pharmacy on their campus. Centers of Excellence programs are also offered to other public and non-profit, or educational entities and graduate programs in mental or behavioral health programs that train a significant number of the targeted minority populations. It also supports "other" minority health profession educational programs at schools having an enrollment of under-represented minorities above the national average for such health professions.

Purpose of the Center of Excellence High School Summer Enrichment Programs

The purpose of the COE summer enrichment programs is to recruit and retain African-Americans and Latino students majoring health professions at Howard University. The program has the 3 components, namely:

• High School Summer Enrichment (High School Senior)
  
• Pre-Professional (Undergraduates/first and second year students)
  
• Faculty/students Research (Second Year Pharmacy Professionals) 
  

High School Summer Enrichment

The purpose of the COE High School Summer Enrichment Program is to enhance high school students, as well as, rising college freshman in the compulsory skills required to succeed at a college level. The main purpose of the Center of Excellence is to strengthen and encourage minorities to pursue health professional careers. In doing this, the Center of Excellence also enforces group participation and unity as an essential component to our individual success. By staying on campus each student is given a sense of freedom and is also to experience ‘real’ college life.

Pre-Professional Summer Enrichment

The purpose of the COE Pre-Professional Summer Enrichment Program is to provide tutorial sessions for pre-professional students to aid them with their scientific college courses as well as to prepare them for the PCAT examination. The tutorial services continue throughout the academic year in an effort to ensure that the students are retained and prepared for health professions careers.

Faculty/Student Research

The COE Faculty/Student Summer Research program is an 8-week program designed to engage professional pharmacy students in research projects with faculty members whose research focuses on minority health issues. Twenty (20) students are selected to participate in the program each year.

Personnel