College students wanting to learn more about what it takes to be a dentist, a doctor, a pharmacist, a nurse, an engineer, a radiologist, or other health or science professional can visit Oregon Health & Science University Friday, Feb. 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is the sixth annual OHSU Health, Science & Engineering Careers Conference hosted by the Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

"The conference's objectives go hand in hand with OHSU's mission of community service. Our goal is to increase the number of diverse health care providers to meet the needs of our state," said Leslie Garcia, director of the Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

The conference especially hopes to attract underrepresented minorities and disadvantaged students to increase prospective students' awareness of OHSU's educational programs, faculty, resources and campus life.                                                            

The educational and interactive conference will give the students an opportunity to explore many possibilities for a future career. The OHSU schools of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Science & Engineering, as well as Allied Health programs and the College of Pharmacy, a joint program with Oregon State University, will be represented.

This year's keynote speaker will be Charles R. Thomas Jr., M.D., professor and chairman of radiation medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine.

The registration deadline is Feb. 10. Registration is free, but capacity is limited. For more information or to register for this event, contact the OHSU Center for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at 503 494-5657 or cedma@ohsu.edu, or register online at www.ohsu.edu/academic/diversity.