Gateway Medical Society appreciates the support of the Trib for our efforts in building a pipeline for future African-American physicians (" Helping minority students get foot in door to medical school ," Dec. 8 and TribLIVE.com). Our program is named "Journey to Medicine" to acknowledge that there are many steps to becoming a physician.
We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the Heinz Endowments for their generous support to initiate the Journey to Medicine youth academic mentorship program of Gateway Medical Society. Their continued support of our vision has been most appreciated.
The Pittsburgh community also has been invested in the success of these young men. In addition to the Heinz Endowments, UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh and its Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation Education & Research and Falk Library of the Health Sciences, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Allegheny County Medical Society, West Penn Allegheny Health System's STAR (Stimulation, Teaching and Academic Research) Center, the PACE Foundation, Duquesne University's Bayer Center for Non-Profit Management, graduate students and professors in the chemistry department at Carnegie Mellon University and countless individuals have contributed time, money and talent to the development of our students.
Pittsburgh is a special place with special organizations and individuals. Thank you, Trib, for sharing with the Pittsburgh community the positive, hardworking, academically driven African-American young men who are striving to become physicians. We welcome everyone to learn more about Gateway Medical Society and its many initiatives and to find ways to contribute to the increased inclusion of our young men and women into productive society.
William Simmons
The writer, a physician, is president of Gateway Medical Society (gatewaymedicalsociety.org).
