Partnering to Increase Inclusion and Diversity in the Health Sciences
An Interview with Dr. Malika Siker
Milwaukee Academy of Science (MAS) and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) have a common goal - to increase individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in the health sciences. 

While the path through medical school is long and arduous for all students, Black and Brown students may face additional unique challenges. The number of Black male medical school graduates dropped from 57% in 1986 to 35% in 2015. Today there are less than 3% of black men enrolled in medical school. Together, both institutions continue to examine this stark reality and work together to remove barriers from K-12 all the way through college and medical school.

Dr. Malika Siker, MCW’s Associate Dean of Student Inclusion & Diversity, shares her office’s perspective on making progress toward this common goal: “Our most important goal is advancing inclusive excellence and belonging for all learners. We want every student who comes to MCW to feel like this is a place where they are celebrated and where they can thrive,” she says. “We aim to make MCW a destination for diverse learners.” 

The Medical College of Wisconsin is taking true strides to be engaged in the Milwaukee community, evidenced by collaborations and investments such as the ThriveOn partnership with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the numerous pipeline and enrichment programs for K-12 to college. MAS students take part in AIM, ROADS, 500 Stars, and two exclusive MAS partnerships. Our MCW/MAS middle school program is called STEM Outreach and Community Engagement (SOCE) Science Club and our high school course is called Intro to Community Health Equity, which is supported by a collaboration with MCW’s Institute for Health Equity faculty (the program is an evolution of the DRIVE program).

At the recent 2020 President’s Community Engagement and Diversity & Inclusion Awards Ceremony, the MCW Office of Community Engagement celebrated numerous students and faculty members making a difference in our community. It was clear: the directive has been given by MCW President Dr. John Raymond that MCW is committed to being an antiracist institution and lifting up those in their ranks who actively increase access to health services and/or remove barriers in their work.
Milwaukee Academy of Science is proud that two of our MAS seniors, Kaleim Taylor and Darius Hannah, received Division 1 scholarships to play college basketball. Both were named All-State athletes and the team finished one game away from the State Tournament when the school closed due to the pandemic. 

Having two D1 scholarship athletes was actually extremely unique last year. In fact, Darius and Kaleim were the ONLY two seniors attending a city of Milwaukee school to receive Division 1 scholarships in basketball. Surely there were other talented players in the city, but not all of them attended schools that set them up for the academic success necessary to meet NCAA criteria. Both Kaleim and Darius’ GPA and ACT made them eligible to receive scholarships to attend school. 
As proud alma mater of scholars and athletes, we decided to catch up with Kaleim who is now playing D1 Basketball at UW-Milwaukee. We asked how he is adjusting to being a D1 Athlete in the midst of a pandemic, along with how his freshman year classes are going.
More about Yelvanna...
When asked to describe herself, 12th grader Yelvanna Taylor-Watkin said she is not an average kid. She has been in foster care five times since she was 3 months old and currently lives in a group home. She recalls that at age 12, she made a decision about who she wanted to be. She wanted to be ambitious. Yelvanna consistently impresses us at MAS with her smile and bright energy. She is always teaching herself things from how to do gymnastics, to how to knit, braid her own hair, draw and sow. Yelvanna wants to go to UW-Oshkosh for something in the medical field, either Obstetrician, dermatologist, or cardiologist and hopes to play gymnastics, track or field or swim.
7:30​: Alarm goes off.
7:35​: Shower, brush teeth, wash face, dress, straighten room, eat fruit loops for breakfast, & then watch YouTube while lying in bed.
8:55: Get out of bed to sit at the desk in my room. Log into Mrs. Udovich’s Trigonometry Zoom class where were are talking about “Circle-ometry.
9:45: Finish my math homework and watch a youtube video. 
10:10: Get ready for my AP Literature and Composition Zoom class with Mr. Bell and talk about understanding Shakespeare’s English language.
11:00 am: Do my StudySync work for Mr. Bell’s class because I don't like being behind on work.
11:45 am: Eat apple, banana and yogurt, just something that won't have my stomach growling.
12:00 pm: Go back upstairs to my room and sit at my desk to get ready for my Senior Seminar class with Mr. Hansen and Mrs. Dubinski. We have Malik from Marquette come in about why we should consider going to their college.