More than 450 minority students ranging from high school to graduate school converged at the fourth Biomedical Science Careers Project (BSCP) Student Conference at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel last weekend.

They met with physicians, scientists, and senior administrators from health care institutions and biotechnology firms and received guidance on a variety of career-related topics, including getting into college and succeeding, identifying research opportunities, and finding funding.

"The goals of the BSCP are to identify talented, highly motivated minority students, provide them with information that can assist them in making academic and career choices, nurture and support student interest in science, and promote diversity in the various biomedical fields," explains Joan Reede, assistant dean for minority faculty development at HMS. Founded in 1991 by the Minority Faculty Development Program at the Medical School in collaboration with the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Board of Higher Education, the BCSP has reached 2,000 students from New England and beyond.

"As doctors, if we expect people not to be prejudiced against us, then it's key that we not be prejudiced. We must take the high road," Pedro Greer, assistant dean for poverty and homeless affairs, University of Miami School of Medicine, told students at the plenary session.

Many mentors taking part in the BSCP Student Conference are Harvard faculty members who feel strongly about building a diverse workforce and helping young people find opportunities in science. "I became involved because I believe that careers in biomedical science offer unprecedented opportunities. However, it is difficult for young people to appreciate the diversity of opportunities and to figure out the best routes to different goals," says Gerald Fischbach, chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Nathan Pusey Professor of Neurobiology at HMS.

"I believe that diversifying our institution and other biomedical institutions is essential. There are many bright young people whose careers in the biomedical sciences can be greatly facilitated by good advice and mentoring," says William Silen, Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity at HMS and Johnson and Johnson Distinguished Professor of Surgery.

The efforts of mentors have immediate and far-reaching effects according to student participants in the program. "If it hadn't been for BSCP, I would never have learned about opportunities in the pharmaceutical branch of biotechnology. I attended a BSCP conference when I was a sophomore and was able to meet with people who provided career options and advice," says Brendalee Miranda, who is majoring in biotechnology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

"Through BSCP, minorities who have achieved academic excellence can more easily pursue health and science careers," says Jocelyn Joseph-Bookman, a clinical fellow in pediatrics who first participated in BSCP as a student at the Medical School and now is returning as an adviser. "You discover opportunities in the biomedical sciences. You meet other minorities who have achieved success. And you network with professionals from different fields. My first BSCP advisor even served as a reference when I applied for residency."

In addition to the student conference, BSCP sponsors several other programs. These include a Career Development Series designed for physicians in postdoctoral training, residents, and junior faculty in collaboration with the Massachusetts Medical Society and four area medical schools, and specialty conferences to encourage collaboration among guidance, education, health care, and biotechnology professionals. BSCP also publishes the New England Resource Directory, which describes nondegree biomedical science-related programs sponsored by educational institutions and other organizations and a quarterly newsletter.