For Parents
Students whose parents show up, in person or via other means of communication are more likely to get more attention and consideration.
Information for parents
Parent engagement is the third essential element in the PrME plan for increasing the number of Black medical doctors.
PrME defines parent engagement as: parents and school staff working together to support and improve the learning, development and health of children and adolescents.
We have all heard the stories, read the books, or watched the TV shows and movies where Black children overcome one disadvantage after another to achieve a sacred goal.
To get where we are headed; to increase the number of Black medical doctors, we must plan and be intentional.
Your Student as a Premed Explorer
Amongst the many stories which we know are those were parents told their children not to reach too high for fear that they would fall further, intimidated by the unfamiliarity of terminology, testing, or completing rigorous applications. PrME is here to help.
Parent engagement is as great a commitment as the student’s pursuit of the advanced medical degree. PrME further defines our partnership with each parent as: being informed, visibly supporting your child, advocating for resources, and consistent communication. PrME will help prepare you, the parent, as well as your student, for the road ahead.
As the most vital element of your student’s formula for success, PrME also seeks to equip you with more resources for engagement with positive reinforcement, imparting an appropriate sense of self-worth, building your student’s determination to prepare and persevere with support from home. In partnership with PrME, your student is covered in wraparound support while facing the rigors of medical school.
Get Up. Get Into It. Get Involved.
Step up your parental engagement.
As parents, we may back away from daily parental engagement as our student ages and becomes more independent. To reach a goal of an advanced medical degree parents must increase and steady engagement in league with your student. Some of the strategies and questions may appear invasive, but we have to keep our eyes focused on the larger goal. If you are planning with your student, then you carry less worry and are better prepared to respond to needs as they arise.
ASK. ASK. ASK.
Student having trouble with Geometry Class? Then ask the Geometry teacher how your student can find more tools or support. Student can’t explain a low grade, then ask the teacher to break down the grading so that you can follow where the low grades impacted the larger grade. Not sure what to ask? Say that. “I want my student to go to college, but I’m not sure what to ask or where to start.” Learn to ask questions. You aren’t expected to know everything, but it is your role to remain informed.
Know your counselor like you know your kid.
The counselor is a critcal point of contact, particularly in in middle and high school. Your relationship with that counsleor can mean the difference between getting your student in their school of choice, or locating resources that make the journey to an advanced medical degree possible. The counsleor may have a large or busy caseload, but you are your student’s advocate for college applications, scholarships, and other experiences that make the difference. There is truth to the saying, “You can get more flies with honey, than vinegar.” How you choose to approach your relationship with your student’s counselor sets the launchpad for attaining medical school.
Teachers Matter.
Establish and maintain consistent and meaningful communication with your student’s teachers during middle school and high school. With apps like; Google Chat, Zoom, and Facetime you can speak to faces and see people after the main school day. Letters of recommendadtion come from teachers. Our research illustrates the importance of know which teachers will write the letter of recommendation your student needs. Further, if struggles are encountered, then you have an ally in making the needed corrections to keep your student pointed toward the big goal.
Parent Night is for YOU!
While we all lead busy lives, when a school hosts a parent night it is your time to shine. See teachers face-to-face. Check in with counselors and administrators, coaches and support staff. This is your team and they want to see you. Take the time to meet with the people your student spends at least 8 hours a day. Let those people know you are available if needed. Then go home and get some rest.
College Applications are a PROCESS.
Most collegiate applications are completed electronically. Letters of recommendation are needed to complete the application. If ACT or SAT scores are needed, you will have to have already been through the testing process and received scores. FAFSA information has to be released to those schools. This is where your relationship with the counselor matters. They are one of your chief navigators through the application process, and you will repeat the process more than once. Applications for medical schools follow a similar plan. You need tools and advance knowledge for your student to enjoy success and gain acceptance to the colleges or universities of choice.
We Believe in the Power of Healing
I early conceived a liking for, and sought every opportunity to relieve the sufferings of others.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, first Black female doctor to earn a medical degree in the U.S.