The Montefiore Health Opportunities Program (Monte HOP) is a summer enrichment program for students interested in health careers who come from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.

The mission of Montefiore Health Opportunities Program (MonteHOP) is to provide intensive enrichment and motivation for underserved and educationally disadvantaged high school and college students with an interest in health careers. This is achieved through exposure to a diverse range of health care professionals, instruction on professional and educational skills, and introduction to the health care system as a whole. Initiated in 2002, MonteHOP provides a broad variety of educational experiences to 12-15 students each summer including interactive workshops (suturing, CPR), health-related lectures, professional skill-building activities, community field trips, one on one mentoring from health care professionals, observation of health professionals in clinics and the hospital system (“shadowing”), and workshops for parents and students on financial aid and the medical school application process.

MonteHOP seeks to encourage students to continue to pursue their education, enabling them to pursue a higher degree in the health profession of their choice and ultimately work in an urban, underserved community, like the Bronx. Since inception, Monte HOP has graduated over 200 educationally and/or economically disadvantaged students. Currently there are nine MonteHOP alumni in medical school. Ten have graduated from medical school and sixteen alumni have completed degrees in nursing. MonteHOP follows the progress of program graduates and encourages successful alumni to return to inspire current students.

Students accepted into the Monte HOP program gain valuable knowledge and professional skills through:

• Participation in interactive-health related workshops
• Observing patient-health care professional interactions and gain knowledge about the medical interview
• Developing and refining professional skills to pursue a career in a health-related field (resume development, interviewing skills, written health paper, project presentation