The 2024 Scholars Program Application is now closed.
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High School Scholars Overview
The STAHR Scholars Program provides students with the opportunities, resources, and knowledge to become competitive applicants to health professional programs. Students in the Scholars Program will undergo personal and professional development as they explore and strengthen their interest in health careers.
Participation in the Scholars Program is free. Students who meet program expectations will receive financial support as stipends and/or scholarships.
High school students can participate in the Scholars Program starting the summer prior to their junior year (11th grade), or the summer prior to their senior year (12th grade). Graduating high school students are eligible to participate as a Collegiate Scholar. From June through the following April, Scholars will increase their confidence and preparedness for pursing their educational goals.
To provide sustained support to students, the Scholars Program is composed of a summer experience and an academic year experience.
Summer Details ∇
Students in the High School Scholars track begin with a summer experience, which starts in June. During the summer, students participate in a 6-week summer program held in-person at UMKC’s Health Sciences Campus. From Monday through Friday for 30 hours each week, students get a first-hand look into what it means to be a health professional.
In the 6-week summer experience, High School Scholars will have opportunities to:
- Participate in clinical observations with practicing dental, medical, and/or pharmacy professionals (based on indicated interest area)
- Conduct a health-related research project with UMKC faculty
- Engage in service projects within the Kansas City community
- Develop and improve personal and professional skills like writing, networking, and leadership
Note: Some of the clinical spaces may require proof of vaccination in order to shadow practitioners and be in the presence of patients. Should you be selected to participate as a High School Scholar, you will be asked to submit copies of your immunization records in order to set-up the clinical shadowing experiences. Commonly required vaccinations include COVID-19, Hepatitis B, MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella), Varicella (Chicken Pox), Tdap (Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis), and a Tuberculosis screening within 12 months of entering the facility.
Academic Year Details ∇
After the summer is over, students continue their development throughout the academic year. From August through April, students will have the opportunity to:
- Receive continued coaching and mentorship from current health professional students, faculty, and UMKC staff
- Participate in opportunities for community service and/or healthcare-related experiences
- Continue developing application materials and skills to increase your competitiveness
- Connect with a broad array of individuals and resources to help support your path to your healthcare career
Participant Expectations
Students in the Scholars Program must:
- Attend all Scholars Program sessions and activities as an attentive and engaged learner
- Complete all tasks, assignments, projects, and surveys appropriately and on-time, designed to evaluate student development and the effectiveness of the program
- Accept the challenges in developing personally, professionally, and academically
- Promptly communicate any pertinent or relevant needs or concerns
- Accept responsibility for reading and responding to correspondences related to the program
- Maintain good academic standing
- Foster a community of respect, trust, and support
Program Benefits
In addition to the knowledge gained from participating, students who meet program expectations receive many benefits, including:
- Financial support as a stipend or scholarship
- Hours towards clinical observations, research, and community service – important areas for applications to health professional education programs
- Automatic interviews for applicants to the UMKC School of Medicine’s BA/MD, MD, MMSPA, and MSA programs
- Note: Students must meet the minimum requirement for admission to these programs to receive this benefit.
- Special consideration for applicants to the UMKC School of Pharmacy’s PharmD program and the School of Dentistry’s DDS program
- Workshops with UMKC’s admissions professionals
- Networking with UMKC faculty, researchers, and practicing health professionals
- Mentorship and guidance for your unique educational path and goals
Eligibility
All students in the High School Scholars track must meet the following criteria:
- Personal interest in pursuing a health profession*
- Currently a high school sophomore (10th grade) or high school junior (11th grade)
- Current high school seniors can apply to the Collegiate Scholars Program.
- Availability and transportation to participate in-person at the UMKC Health Sciences Campus Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 4:00pm CST
- The 2024 Scholars Program summer dates are: Monday, June 10, 2024 – Friday, July 19, 2024
- The High School Scholars track will only be conducted in-person. Because the program consists of in-person experiential learning, students are expected to be physically present each day. Students who are not in the Kansas City area will need to make their own living arrangements to stay in the Kansas City area during all 6 weeks of the program, as university housing through STAHR will not be offered.
- 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA
- **Economically disadvantaged OR ***educationally disadvantaged
- United States Citizen OR Permanent Resident
- Preference given to students from the Kansas City area and students interested in providing care to medically underserved communities
*Due to federal grant specifications, students interested in pursuing nursing careers are not eligible for this program because nursing is not designated in Section 739 of the Public Health Service Act, which funds this program.
**Per HRSA, “Economically Disadvantaged” is determined by having an annual family income that does not exceed 200% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines.
***Per HRSA, “Educationally Disadvantaged” is determined by an environment that has inhibited students from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to enroll in & graduate from a health professions school.
Questions About Eligibility
STAHR looks at several different criteria to determine eligibility. We encourage all interested students to submit an application to have their eligibility reviewed.
Application Process
Students applying for the Scholars Program are applying for the entire yearlong program. Students must participate in both the summer and academic year experiences, and may not apply to a single experience.
The application cycle for the 2024 STAHR Scholars Program is currently closed.
Notify me about the 2025 STAHR Scholars Program application cycle. |
Requirements
To be considered for the program, the following must be completed prior to the deadline:
- A completed STAHR Scholars Online Application
- Your progress on the application can be saved and returned to later using the Save & Return feature, which provides you with a return code.
- The application is not considered “completed” until the final Submit button has been clicked. After successfully submitting, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided in the application.
- To see an overview of what is included in the application, review the first page of the Online Application.
- A copy of your most up-to-date academic transcript(s)
- You may attach your academic document(s) through the upload spaces in the Online Application or by uploading directly to the STAHR Application File Upload.
- Official documents preferred, but unofficial will also be accepted.
- If classes have been taken at multiple institutions, please submit documentation from each school.
- Students currently enrolled in high school must submit documentation for 9th grade through the present (including any college credits).
- Your documentation must contain the following:
- Student’s name
- Name of school
- All classes taken and grades received
- Classes currently enrolled in (if applicable)
- Cumulative unweighted GPA (out of 4.00)
- One professional recommendation submitted through the STAHR Scholars Online Reference Form
- Recommendations can come from a counselor/advisor, teacher/instructor, or other professional who is able to speak on your personal and professional attributes.
- Recommenders must complete the online form. Letters of recommendation will not be considered.
- Recommenders can complete the Online Reference Form before or after you submit the Online Application.
- *Students who have previously participated in the STAHR Scholars Program do not need to have a recommender complete the form.*
- If not a United States Citizen – A copy of your Permanent Residence Card (Green Card)
- You may attach a copy of your card through the upload spaces in the Online Application or by uploading directly to the STAHR Application File Upload.
- *U.S. Citizens do not need to upload any form of government ID.*
Deadline
ALL application materials must be submitted by February 15, 2024 at 11:59pm CST. Email confirmations will be sent to applicants when materials have been received.
Selection
Students who meet the eligibility requirements and complete all application materials will undergo a committee review for selection. This committee will review all information about the applicant and determine suitability for the program. During the review and selection process, applicants may be contacted for a brief interview for the committee to learn more about the student.
In general, successful applicants:
- Understand and commit to fulfilling all expectations and program requirements
- Indicate a personal interest in exploring more about what it means to be a health professional
- Demonstrate academic persistence and a commitment to learning
To maximize the resources for each student, STAHR will be accepting a limited number of High School Scholars.
Students will be notified of their acceptance by March 15, 2024.