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Training Autism Specialist Physicians through SJU-Thomas Jefferson University Partnership
Bridget Cichon ’20 works at the Kinney Center's annual summer camp. Cichon was the first student accepted to Thomas Jefferson medical school under a new partnership with Saint Joseph's.
Building on the work of Saint Joseph’s distinguished Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, which leads the country in education of autism professionals, the University has partnered with Thomas Jefferson University to offer a unique program designed to train autism specialist physicians. Through this joint program, which began this year, students at Saint Joseph’s University majoring or minoring in autism behavioral studies can participate in Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College Scholars program in their junior year and potentially enter medical school MCAT-free following graduation.
“This is exactly the type of program Saint Joseph’s envisioned when announcing the School of Health Studies and Education a year and a half ago,” said Angela McDonald, Ph.D., LPCS, NCC, dean of the School of Health Studies and Education. “This program leverages our unique strength in preparing autism professionals of tomorrow, forged by our Kinney Center, while providing our students with early assurance to one of the nation’s premier medical schools.”
Integral to the program, students will spend at least 500 hours working with individuals with autism during their undergraduate studies at Saint Joseph’s. This builds on the Kinney Center’s unique SCHOLARS (Students Committed to Helping Others Learn about Autism Research and Support) program, whereby current undergraduate students work part-time to support Kinney’s autism programming. Training physicians to understand and have experience working with individuals on the autism spectrum can fundamentally change medical care for the more than 3.5 million Americans living with the condition.