At Charles Mack Elementary School in South Sacramento, fifth-grade students have not only been learning science, they’ve also been getting an early look at what it takes to become a physician or health care professional through the Dr. Me! program.
Dr. Me! provides students in underserved communities with hands-on education in biology and mentorship from Black health care professionals. The program helps students build knowledge and cultural pride. Kaiser Permanente recently provided $200,000 in funding to support the program’s growth throughout California because it helps young people increase their interest and confidence in pursuing health care careers.
“The kids are receptive, kind, excited, and fully engaged,” said Zenja Watkins, MD, an ob-gyn at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento who helped lead the program at Charles Mack Elementary School. “They ask questions you don’t normally get to ask during a checkup, from whether we’ve ever made a mistake to what inspired us to become doctors. They are genuinely curious and eager to learn.”
Program grows to 8 Northern and Southern California counties
Dr. Watkins is also a local chapter member of The Links, an international volunteer service organization of professional African American women that developed the rigorous 6-unit Dr. Me! curriculum. Kaiser Permanente and The Links brought Dr. Me! to San Francisco in 2024. Together they’re now offering the program to students in Alameda, Contra Costa, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, and San Bernadino counties.
Through Dr. Me!, dozens of Kaiser Permanente physician volunteers teach and mentor students. They help young people explore how the human body works.
Students learn the muscular, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems through guided lessons, hands-on activities, and interactions with physicians from various specialties. The idea is to get students to picture themselves in future STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and health care careers.
Students get excited about science
The program will be at 9 Northern California schools this fall. Dr. Me! was offered at Charles Mack Elementary School last spring, and it will be offered again in the spring of 2027.
Charles Mack Elementary School Vice Principal Latonia Walton-Jenkins said the program helps students get comfortable with science.
“I was so proud to see our students learning from real doctors who were experts in their fields,” Walton-Jenkins said. “The students seemed excited about science and possibly seeking a science-based career.”
Students receive white coats with their names and the Dr. Me! logo, along with stethoscopes they use throughout the program. They wear their coats during every session, including a graduation celebration family members attend.
One student thanked Dr. Watkins for spending time teaching the class. She shared that Dr. Me! had inspired her to become a doctor so she could help others. Dr. Watkins later learned the student had previously experienced homelessness and was living in foster care.
“She gave me a beautiful card and the warmest, most heartfelt hug,” Dr. Watkins recalled. “Hearing that she wanted to become a doctor because of the program reminded me exactly why we were there.”
