Eight of New York State’s medical schools participate in the Science and Technology Entry Programs (STEP), funded by the State Education Department. These rigorous academic enrichment programs target junior high and high school students interested in science, technology and health-related professions. The goals of STEP are to facilitate students with an interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields entry to and graduation from college and, subsequently, health professions. The ultimate goal is to expand the pipeline of under-represented minority and educationally and economically disadvantaged students in medicine.

The following schools participate in STEP:

• Albany Medical College
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Columbia University Vagelos College
  of Physicians & Surgeons
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• New York Institute of Technology
  College of Osteopathic Medicine
• NYU School of Medicine
• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Each of the schools develop its own unique STEP program which includes the following components:

• Exposure to the medical school environment and curriculum;
• Career presentations from various health profession fields;
• Internships;
• Participation in clinical and laboratory field experiences;
• College counseling;
• Personal counseling;
• Academic and study skills, including Regent’s and SAT review;
• Oral and written research projects;
• Self-esteem;
• Values and ethics exploration;
• Multicultural development;
• Social awareness development;
• Field trips;
• Parents Advisory Council (PAC);
• Commemoration: awards, scholarships, and other successes.