PHD's Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program (PEEP) is a graduate pipeline program for undocumented students pursuing health professions. The program's design supports students with complex immigration statuses such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protective Status. Participants pursue health-related programs such as medical school, physical therapy, nursing, etc. Each profession has barriers: background checks, restrictive admission requirements, and inequitable support in schools.
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PEEP shapes and trains competitive applicants to break barriers that undocumented students face. Our program focuses on empowerment, self-advocacy, story sharing, and professional skills.
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Innovation
Challenge
2024
“If you look at history, innovation does not come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect,” says Steven Johnson, a popular American science author. Traditionally, the responsibility of coming up with innovative products, services, and business models was assigned only to a handful of people within institutions. Pre-existing institutions have not provided a reliable concept for undocumented youth to pursue their education or choose eligible healthcare. Here at PhDreamers, we are trying to motivate students to tackle these issues first hand. We will strive to tackle issues they have faced by working in diverse teams and developing and building solutions. This year, PhDreamer's Peer Engagement and Enrichment Program will provide a research component to our students by using the program as a platform for students to build and develop a solution to an existing pressing issue amongst immigrant communities. We are currently working on our PEEP Cohort for this upcoming academic year.