A day in the life of a medical student: IMIG welcomes AHEC Scholars on campus

On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) hosted the “Day in the Life of a Medical Student” event on campus. Nearly 60 undergraduate AHEC Scholars attended and had the chance to explore medical school through a variety of hands-on sessions. They learned about internal medicine and bacterial endocarditis from Dr. Austin Fredrickson, participated in microbiology and anatomy activities, and practiced foundational physical exam skills.

This event was organized by Adeline Whaley, M2, and was made possible through the support of many incredible volunteers, including the IMIG Community Outreach Chairs Anvitha Nadendla, M1, Divya Warrier, M1, and Dhishan Kashyap, M1, as well as our three lead mentors: Yara Habo, M2, Gabriel Mekis, M2, and Raneem Al-Sharif, GS.

“I hope participants were able to connect with medical students and see that medical school is truly within reach for them," said program organizer Whaley. "As someone who is the first in my family to go to medical school and who also grew up in a rural community, experiences many of the Scholars share, I know how meaningful an event like this would have been for me. Creating that space for connection and encouragement is one of the reasons this event is so important.”

Special thanks to Julie Centofanti, M2, who led the physical exam skills session; Sydney Smith, M4, and Nathan Ryan, M4, who led the microbiology session; and Jillian Gady, M1, who led the anatomy session. Additionally, numerous medical and graduate students generously spent their Saturday morning assisting with each activity and connecting with the AHEC Scholars.

IMIG will be hosting a similar event on Saturday, Jan. 31, where undergraduate AHEC Scholars will have the opportunity to learn and practice patient interviewing skills. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks!

- submitted by Adeline Whaley, M2