The Maternal and Child Health Leadership, Education, and Advancement of undergraduate Pathways Program has completed its second round of recruitment efforts and chosen their 2022 trainee cohort. This comes after a successful inaugural year in which the program trained and mentored 22 undergraduate students under the leadership of Program Director, Dr. Jihong Liu, and the Deputy Director, Dr. Monique Brown.  

This upcoming year’s cohort of 32 trainees, made up of Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors from primarily underrepresented and diverse backgrounds, represents the best of the UofSC student population interested in advancing their futures in maternal and child health. Along with 45 new applicants, the MCH LEAP program reviewed applications for and admitted eight returning trainees from the previous cohort. Trainees for the 2022 program year come from a variety of schools and majors including nursing, public health, exercise science, biological sciences, pre-pharmacy, and psychology.  

Trainees will begin the MCH LEAP program starting in the Fall. During their time in the program, trainees will work with a faculty mentor to achieve their MCH-related educational and career goals, increase their MCH knowledge and skills, be connected with experiential learning opportunities such as internships and research, and develop relationships with like-minded students.  

Trainees will continue to receive mentorship from a diverse and interdisciplinary group of faculty mentors. Program mentors include Dr. Banky Olatosi in Health Services Policy and Management; Dr. Toni Torres-McGehee in Exercise Science; Dr. Myriam Torres, Dr. Jihong Liu, and Dr. Monique Brown in Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Dr. Lucy Ingram and Dr. Deborah Billings in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. Follow us on social media as we continue to provide updates on the MCH LEAP program and our 2022 trainee cohort.