"You don't have to fall immediately into a career pattern," said Wendell Knox, president and CEO of ABT Associates, Inc., a Cambridge-based consulting firm. "One way to be flexible is to think about pairing academic disciplines, such as degrees in medicine and business."

Harvard Medical School now has a remarkably diverse student body, and has been recognized for this achievement. However, nationwide, there is still a lack of diversity among physicians and basic scientists. The 1990 census found that only 8 percent of practicing physicians were Hispanic, Native American, or African-American.

The annual conference is designed to encourage minority high school and college students to consider careers as scientists and physicians. After listening to talks and suggestions by speakers from industry and the academic community, the students attended workshops on getting into colleges and graduate schools, and strategies for developing career plans.

This year the day-long conference was held on Feb. 3 at the Park Plaza Hotel. It was organized by Joan Reede, assistant dean of faculty development and diversity.

Keynote speaker Woodrow Myers, Jr., told the students that for him "education has been a continuous process, an opportunity to form creative partnerships across multiple disciplines." Myers, who graduated from HMS in 1977, is a former New York City health commissioner. He now directs health care management for Ford Motor Company.

Many of the speakers sounded a similar theme: In today's world, students need to gain a broad education, and should think of education as a process that does not end with formal schooling.

"Technical skills are very important in the biotech industry," said Gail Maderis, a vice president at Genzyme. "Genzyme offers business opportunities in many areas that require an understanding of both science and business."

Moreover, Maderis said, "today's job market is very volatile. You need to find a way to constantly improve your skill base."

Lewanda Elliott, a freshman at Amherst College, said that the speeches served as a source of "encouragement to help you find a place in the medical field . . . People need to know that being a physician is not the only option available to them."

Nereida Ralda, a junior at Boston English High School, saw the conference as "an opportunity to consider multiple career options that are out there for minority women in the biomedical field."

In addition to providing encouragement and insights, the conference was designed to provide the students with some personal contacts. Panelists provided the students with their business cards; Reede and others encouraged the students to develop mentor relationships with advisors at the conference.

"Science is rich with opportunity," Reede told the students. "But you must take the initiative by being absolutely determined to achieve your goals."

--Ann Kennon