Organizers of a mentoring program for students who want to pursue a medical career are seeking more Mississippi applicants.

The Summer Medical and Dental Education Program is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It’s a free, six-week preparation project that’s held on university campuses across the country.

Program director Norma Poll says Mississippi was chosen for outreach because less than 20 applications are submitted each year from the state, a national leader in obesity and heart disease rates.

Poll says the program’s goal is to increase diversity in medicine and dentistry while focusing on underserved communities. Applications are now being accepted at www.smdep.org.