Reaching Out During Challenging Times: The First Virtual Doctors Back to School Program™ Event

How do we adapt to deliver our message in times of pandemic? This has been a challenging year. The education system has been affected by the pandemic, and the usual daily classroom activities have moved to the virtual space. The pandemic had devastating effects on many aspects of our lives. As members of the Committee on Professional Diversity, we felt that now, more than ever, we needed to reach out to kids from underrepresented backgrounds and deliver the powerful message we have provided for the past four years: “There is potential in you, and we are proof that you, too, can succeed and be part of our health profession.” As part of the American Medical Association (AMA) Doctors Back to School Program, the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity visits schools with students who are predominantly from underrepresented backgrounds (asamonitor.pub/3cu3lU5). Last year, the in-person conference events were canceled due...