The Lang Youth Medical Program: a 6-year blueprint for advancing educational attainment and achievement

Medical pipeline programs are one upstream approach to supporting student educational outcomes, a well-documented social determinant of health, through out-of-school time (OST) programming. The Lang Youth Medical Program (LYMP) is a 6-year, hospital-based model designed to immerse students ("Scholars") in a health science and clinical curriculum, fostering interest in health careers and providing educational support for youth in Northern Manhattan. LYMP stands out among other medical pipeline programs for its longitudinal model that targets students in middle school to enable comprehensive academic and career support. This paper aims to describe the structure, implementation, and outcomes of LYMP as a replicable model for improving educational outcomes among underrepresented youth.

LYMP draws upon an urban hospital's existing resources and community partnerships to immerse Scholars in academic and clinical exploration. Across 6 years, Scholars receive a body-systems-based curriculum, clinical skills lessons, hospital tours, and annual summer internships, alongside rigorous support for high school and college applications, to prepare them for post-secondary pursuits. Simultaneously, Scholars' families receive parent workshops and connections to wraparound and counseling services as an additional dimension of support.

With a 92.6% retention rate across 16 graduating cohorts, approximately 93% of LYMP alumni pursue undergraduate degrees and one in five have pursued graduate degrees. Among alumni who have graduated college, 26% (n = 30) have returned to work full-time at the hosting hospital. Regardless of their professional or academic pathway, recent LYMP alumni scored 27% higher on standardized tests compared to their peers and report feeling well-equipped with professional and academic skills instrumental in their success.

LYMP offers a scalable and replicable blueprint for healthcare institutions seeking to invest in educational equity and workforce development. Its modular curriculum, upstream intervention strategy, and integration within a hospital setting demonstrate how longitudinal, community-rooted programs can effectively support youth in achieving academic success, career readiness, and health literacy. Additionally, LYMP's novel approach has evolved to include socioemotional support and community resources to address the social determinants of health, providing Scholars with a holistic exposure to healthcare while continually meeting its mission to improve educational outcomes among Northern Manhattan youth.