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SHPEP convened its last cohort in the Summer of 2026 after 38 years of supporting students pursuing health professions careers. After many years of support for SHPEP, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the program's founding partner and core funder, decided to sunset the initiative following careful deliberation and research. The Foundation is now directing its efforts toward strategies aimed at dismantling structural racism in the health sector at the institutional level. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and RWJF proudly recognize the program’s lasting impact and thousands of students, alumni, organizational partners, and institutional leaders who contributed to its legacy. This website has been preserved as an archival resource to celebrate SHPEP’s history, outcomes, impact, and contributions to the health professions. Learn more about the program’s conclusion in our FAQs.
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Ambra Palushi

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Ms. Palushi attended SMDEP in 2015 at Howard University College of Medicine. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health in 2017. She is now a third-year medical student.

About

Health Profession

Medicine

Program Year

2015

Program Site

Howard University


Contact

Ambra Palushi, /

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Ambra Palushi

Ms. Palushi attended SMDEP in 2015 at Howard University College of Medicine. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland College Park School of Public Health in 2017.

Ms. Palushi grew up in Albania and later moved to the Baltimore area. As an immigrant, she understands the complexity of navigating the US healthcare system leading to gaps in patient care and outcomes. This has been the foundation of her passions in the field of public health, specifically understanding health disparities, social determinants of health, and health literacy.

Ms. Palushi says, after attending SMDEP, “this is exactly the field I’m meant to be in”. The program solidified her purpose in medicine. She is now a third-year medical student and is interested in pursuing either internal medicine or emergency medicine.

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