An Update on Career Trajectories and Professional Development Plans of MADURA Undergraduate Mentorship Program Alumni...

By 2060, the U.S. population is projected to be older and more racially and ethnically diverse, and Underrepresented Minorities (URMs) are disproportionately affected by age-related conditions, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). There is a pressing need to improve diversity among aging and AD/ADRD researchers and clinicians, to better address needs of the current and future older adult population. Yet college students identifying as African American, Latinx, American Indian, first-generation, or sexual or gender minority individuals and individuals with disabilities are less likely to complete STEM bachelor's degrees or subsequently utilize STEM degrees, than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. The Mentorship for Advancing Undergraduate Research on Aging (MADURA) Program supports undergraduate retention and success, graduate/medical school applications, and entry into aging and AD/ADRD research or clinical employment. This article reports on mentee graduate degree attainment and aging/AD/ADRD employment outcomes. It also details its cohort's intermediate post-bachelor's educational and career preparation activities, designed to prepare graduates to achieve longer term professional goals. Longitudinal research on mentees' intermediate professional development activities and their utility is suggested, to improve understanding of trainees' professional development pathways and optimally supportive mentorship program design.