Applications open for Behavioral Science’s White Coats for Black Lives fellowships

Applications are open to students in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine for the fourth cohort of the White Coats for Black Lives fellowships.

The Department of Behavioral Science created the fellowship and is supported by its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

The fellowships were developed to enhance medical students’ understanding of health disparities, political and social inequalities and health care inequities experienced by Black Americans due to historical explicit bias and contemporary implicit bias across the health care system.

The hope is that the experience will enhance medical school training, increase the understanding of how behavioral science research can help to address health disparities and enable students to be better prepared to care for underserved Black patient populations.

Two fellows will be selected to participate in the 2024-25 cohort.

Over the course of 18 months, each fellow will work with a behavioral science faculty mentor on a research or community-engaged project addressing Black Americans' health.

Fellows receive a stipend and will present their projects to the campus community.

All current first-year medical students are eligible to apply online here. You can find more information about eligibility requirements here.

The council is accepting applications through 5 p.m., Jan. 31, 2024. Fellows will be chosen by March 15, 2024.

Students with questions about the fellowship can contact Raven Piercey, Ph.D., at raven.piercey@uky.edu or the BSC DEI Council at bscdeicouncil@uky.edu.

There will be an information session from noon–1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in Room 104 in the Medical Behavioral Science Building for students interested in learning more about the fellowship.