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Special Programs

Imi Ho'ola Post-Baccalaureate Program

The John A. Burns School of Medicine is actively involved in the recruitment, admission, and retention of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are interested in pursuing an MD degree. Imi Ho'ola (Hawaiian for "Those who seek to Heal") is a post-baccalaureate program designed to provide educational opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds capable of succeeding in medical school. Although Imi Ho'ola is not limited to persons of Hawaiian, Filipino, Samoan, Chamorro, and Micronesian descent, a large number of these students in the past have been able to demonstrate that they are from a disadvantaged background.

Each school year, 10 students are selected to participate in this one-year program, and upon successful completion, they matriculate the following year into the John A. Burns School of Medicine. The curriculum emphasizes the integration of concepts and principles in the sciences and humanities and further develops students' communication and learning skills. Eligible individuals are from a disadvantaged socioeconomic and/or educational background who have demonstrated a commitment to serve areas of need in Hawai'i and the Pacific.

Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence is a project undertaken by the John A. Burns School of Medicine to address the barriers to health care for native Hawaiians. The mission is to improve the school's ability to train physicians with the commitment and special skills to care for the indigenous peoples of the state. The center offers recruitment initiatives to interest Hawaiian high school and college students in medical careers and prepare them for entry into health professions; development of a student tracking system to identify Hawaiian students at academic risk early in their medical training so that appropriate interventions can be made; a one-year fellowship to recruit additional native Hawaiian faculty for the school; revision of the medical school's curriculum to ensure that all students are exposed to the unique health problems and interpersonal skills involved in dealing with Hawaiian patients; and student research electives in Hawaiian health and medical care.

Center on Aging

The Center on Aging was established by the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents in July 1988. Its mission is to stimulate and coordinate gerontological activities on the UH Manoa campus, to establish gerontology as an academic field of excellence at Manoa, and to promote collaboration between the University and other organizations concerned with aging.

Center on Aging staff are involved in a number of research and training projects: exploring cultural variations in caregiver, help seeking, perceptions of chronic disease (e.g., cancer, dementia, and diabetes) and death and dying practices; examining volunteer behavior in seniors; tracking client and caregiver satisfaction with homecare services; coordinating specialized training and workshops in gerontology for local and international organizations; and developing and testing educational materials related to elder abuse and neglect, end-of-life care and decision making; and health promotion. These projects are being conducted in collaboration with a number of UH departments (e.g., the School of Law, the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, the School of Social Work, and the College of Social Sciences) and community agencies (e.g., the Executive Office on Aging, the Hawaiian Islands Hospice Organization, the St. Francis International Center for Healthcare Ethics, and Papa Ola Lokahi).

Honors and Awards

Alpha Omega Alpha is the honorary society for medical students.

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