Highlights from our 2026 Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit
Event Details
Check back in the Fall for 2027 summit dates.
What to expect from the youth summit
Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) and the Black Men in White Coats Organization seek to provide underrepresented minority youth with exposure to the medical field through robust discussion topics led by content experts including:
- Discussions with dynamic speakers and diverse physician panelists
- Hands on activities including simulation, robotics, virtual reality, etc.
- Educational grade-level breakout sessions covering an array of topics including:
- Health care careers
- Hands on CPR training
- Workshops and resources for parents & guardians
- Educational guidance from local counselors including how to get into college and medical school
Background
Established in 2013, Black Men in White Coats aims to encourage and equip youth (all genders) from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine. This initiative was founded in response to AAMC reports highlighting the decreasing number of black male applicants to medical school.
BMiWCx Youth Summits are locally organized events that bring healthcare professionals together for the single purpose of providing underrepresented minority youth with exposure to the medical field. These summits are independently organized by leaders within the community. They educate students, parents, teachers, and community leaders on what it takes to become a medical professional while allowing them to establish and expand their networks. Kaiser Permanente Undergraduate Medical Education has partnered with Black Men in White Coats to achieve these goals through educational discussion topics and activities with dynamic speakers and panelists. Over the course of the day, students will engage in hands-on activities and network with healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds.
We welcome students of all genders and cultural backgrounds to attend.
Highlights from our 2025 Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 AM | Welcome from Dale Okorodudu, MD Founder, Black Men in White Coats |
| 9:30 AM | Welcome from Kaiser Permanente Ted O’Connell, MD, FAAFP, Director of Undergraduate, Graduate, and Continuing Medical Education Kaiser Permanente Northern California & Associate Clinical Professor UC San Francisco School of Medicine Michelle Loaiza, MSHCA, Regional Senior Manager, Undergraduate & Graduate Medical Education Kaiser Permanente Northern California |
| 9:40 AM | Fireside Chat with Carla Wicks, MD, Regional Medical Director-TPMG Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity (EID) Physician Lead-TPMG Health Equity for Women’s Health Advisory Group Featuring medical students and residents |
| 9:30 AM | Welcome from Las Positas College Dyrell Foster, Ed.D., President of Las Positas College |
| 10:15 AM | Middle School Student Workshop: Panel Session: Pathways to Medicine |
| High School Option 1 CPR Workshop High School Option 2 Panel Session: Becoming a pre-med student |
|
| College Student Workshop: Communication 101 | |
| Parent/Guardian Workshop: How to Raise a Doctor Parent panel | |
| 11:05 AM | Middle School Workshop: Visit program booths, poster sessions, and hands-on activities |
| High School Workshop: Finding Your Why | |
| College workshop: The Path to Medical/Specialty School | |
| Parent/Guardian workshop: Communication 101 | |
| Medical Scholars Pathway (MSP) Only: CV/Resume/Personal Narrative Building | |
| 11:50 AM | Visit simulation activities, poster sessions, program booths, and networking lunch |
| 1:00 PM | Middle School: CPR workshop |
| High School workshop: How to get to college – Admissions | |
| Parents/Guardians & College Students Combined workshop: Finance and understanding the application process | |
| 1:50 PM | Physician Panel 1 |
| Physician Panel 2 | |
| 2:50 PM | Raffle & Closing |
Questions about this event? Please contact:
Michelle Loaiza, MSHCA
michelle.b.loaiza@kp.org
Melissa Wong, MPH
melissa.m.wong@kp.org