Inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals
The WA ACC High School Mentorship Program, a partnership between the Division of Cardiology, Chief Sealth International High School, and the WA chapter of the American College of Cardiology, is a collaborative initiative connecting high school students with mentors in cardiology.
Inspiring the path to medicine
Every journey begins with a single step, and that step is often easier when someone is there to guide the way.
For many high school students considering their future, a career in medicine can feel daunting or even out of reach. Recognizing these challenges, a team in the Division of Cardiology is working to make the path to medicine more accessible, particularly for students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field.
In 2023, Drs. Christine Chung and Andrea Diaz launched the Washington State American College of Cardiology (WA ACC) High School Mentorship Program in partnership with the UW Division of Cardiology and Chief Sealth International High School.
This mission is especially important in a specialty where women represent only about 15% of cardiologists and where Black and Latinx physicians remain significantly underrepresented.
Since then, the program has expanded with the addition of Dr. Preethi Pirlamarla, Lori Joubert (Division of Cardiology) and Linda Filley-Bentler at Chief Sealth, growing into a collaborative effort dedicated to inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals.
As part of its mission, the program is deeply invested in promoting inclusion and belonging, specifically of underrepresented minorities, women, and those from low income and first-generation college backgrounds.
Learning through mentorship
The pipeline program pairs high school students with cardiology fellows and faculty mentors for immersive clinical experiences and meaningful mentorship. Each year, approx. 12 students in 11th and 12th grade are selected to participate in the 6-month program.
Throughout the program, students gain firsthand exposure to patient care by shadowing their mentors for at least two clinical days across a range of cardiology subspecialties, including Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant, Electrophysiology, Interventional and Structural Cardiology, Cardiac Critical Care, and Adult Congenital Cardiology. Depending on the specialty and clinical setting, a shadowing day may include rounding with the care team in the ICU, observing a complex coronary or electrophysiology procedure, or following a cardiologist through a day in outpatient clinic.
Beyond clinical shadowing, students are invited to participate in the annual WA ACC Scientific Meeting, providing an opportunity to engage with the broader cardiology community and learn more about research.
Student experiences
Students experience a day in the life of a cardiologist while becoming part of the UW Cardiology community, where they are encouraged to ask questions, explore their interests, and learn about the many paths to a career in medicine.
Participating students have shared:
"It was really nice to see my mentor be so passionate about his job and explaining why he chose to be a cardiologist. He also gave me a tour and introduced me to different people from his team and the positions they had, which was amazing. He has a great work ethic and overall an amazing bright person to be around. 10/10!!!!"
"The doctors I shadowed were very welcoming and I learned a lot. It was nice having my questions answered by people in the field and getting to see what doctors do behind the scenes."
"My mentor explained things really well when I asked questions and sparked my curiosity for cardiology. I had a great time and got to learn a lot about cardiology and medicine as a whole."
Growing impact
What began as a focused mentorship effort has grown into a broader community initiative united by a shared goal: creating opportunities for the next generation of healthcare professionals.
The inaugural 2023 cohort included 8 students in grades 11-12, paired with 6 faculty and 2 fellow mentors. Since then, the program has expanded to include 3 program cycles, with the most recent cohort taking place from January-June 2026. To date, the program has served more than 30 students with the support of 25 volunteer mentors.
The program's success is made possible by the collaborative efforts of program leadership, staff, and volunteers, who work together to broaden the scope for each iteration of the program and ensure each student has an engaging and memorable experience.
Mentors shared:
[It was memorable] “hearing about the student's aspirations in medicine and helping her look through the application for pre health programs at Seattle Central College.”
“She said at the end that she thought Electrophysiology was really cool and she wants to shadow more over the summer.
“Creating space for other women in a male-dominated field brings me joy, and providing opportunities for high school students to imagine themselves in this space is immensely gratifying.”
“Increasing representation in medicine and cardiology starts long before medical school. Helping high school students, particularly young women, see themselves as future cardiologists is both inspiring and deeply rewarding.”
Program leaders hope to continue building pathways that help students see themselves in medicine and give them the support to take that important first step.
Faculty and fellow volunteers include:
Adiya Jaffari, Andrea Diaz, Babak Nazer, Chinonso Opara, Christine Chow, Christine Chung, Cooper Kersey, David Elison, David Linker, David Owens, Jill Steiner, Joey Chaing, John Blair, Jordan Prutkin, Karen Stout, Kate Kearney, Marta Alhama-Belotto, Nitin Kondamudi, Oscar Bailon, Preethi Pirlamarla, Rebecca Resnick, Richard Cheng, Sonya Narula, Steve Farris, Sunu Thomas, and Xavier Sendaydiego.