FAQs

The STEPP-ON-UP post-baccalaureate program requires a 1-year commitment, from Sept 1, 2026 – Aug 27, 2027.

The STEPP-ON-UP program has a strong emphasis on laboratory research, with additional program components taking a combined 6-8 days per month. The breakdown is roughly 60% lab, 20% community outreach, and 20% for shadowing and other activities such as professional development workshops and seminars. On average, we expect STEPP-ON-UP Scholars to spend 3-4 days per week doing research in the lab, 1 day per week with the Community Outreach and Engagement office (COE), and 2-4 days per month shadowing physicians or in the Clinical Trials Office (CTO). However, this will vary from day to day and week to week throughout the program – and could be subject to change. Some days will be all lab research while others will be spent with doing outreach activities or shadowing. Learning to balance these different tasks is an excellent training experience for future physician scientists.

The STEPP-ON-UP program is a full-time, one-year commitment. Participants are expected to dedicate at least 40 hours per week across a combination of laboratory work, Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) activities, physician shadowing, and shadowing within the Clinical Trials Office (CTO). The specific breakdown of your weekly schedule will depend on the requirements of your research project, COE activities, clinic availability, and your mentor’s lab schedule.

Because research and outreach needs can vary, your daily activities may look different from one day to the next. Some days may be spent entirely in the lab, while others may involve a mix of lab work, shadowing, and community outreach. You may have experiments that run longer than eight hours one day but require only a few hours the next. Similarly, you may attend a half‑day off‑site outreach event or spend time shadowing in the CTO before transitioning to lab work.

Occasionally, you may also be asked to complete short tasks on weekends—such as 1–2 hours to feed cultured cells. This kind of variability is typical of laboratory research and provides valuable, hands‑on experience that reflects real-life scientific practice.

On average, you can expect to spend about 1 day per week working on various projects for the COE including but not limited to health promotion and outreach, health education in the community, population health needs assessment and data analysis, and helping the CTO enroll underserved communities in clinical trials. STEPP-ON-UP Scholars are also expected to participate in a monthly community health fair at the Jackie Robinson YMCA.

STEPP-ON-UP Scholars will have 2-4 days per month for shadowing clinicians and staff in the Clinical Trials Office (CTO). The CTO times will vary and may be anywhere from an hour to a full day. In addition, you will have opportunities to shadow Moores Cancer Center physicians and we will help you to facilitate those connections.

This is not an academic post-baccalaureate program. You will receive a research-intensive laboratory and cancer outreach experience, along with shadowing of physicians and shadowing in our clinical trials office, professional development workshops, and cancer-related seminars. STEPP-ON-UP Scholars will have project-specific training that may include health and safety, vivarium, and research-specific techniques as needed for each research project. We encourage you to attend scientific seminars, journal clubs, and symposia held at Moores Cancer Center. You will also participate in professional development workshops as part of the program, but there is no formal curriculum.