Discover Medicine is a monthly program that invites local high school students from underrepresented backgrounds to spend the day at UVA to get an introduction to the medical field. This program is run by the UVA School of Medicine’s Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center.
On November 20, students from both Charlottesville and Monticello High School arrived on grounds to learn about the pulmonary system. Their day started with an introduction to the pulmonary system: learning about the major organs, their functions, and associated diseases. This was followed by an introduction to cancer that included the different types of lung cancer, the ways it is modeled in the lab, and how those findings can be translated to patient care.
After these lectures, the students were able to gain hands-on experience learning how to conduct a basic pulmonary exam to diagnose a patient with the guidance of medical students. Lunch included delicious pizza and great conversations with both students and faculty where the students were able to ask questions about possible careers in the medical or biomedical research fields.
“It was really impressive to see how eager the students were to not only learn about medicine and biomedical research but also engage with the physicians and students present to gain better perspective about their own career ambitions. Initiatives like this really help to pave the way for the next generation of physicians and scientists by making science more accessible”, said Sam Young, one of the BIMS student volunteers for Discover Medicine.
David Moyer, DC, gave an introduction to both normal and pathologic pulmonary anatomy. To end the day, Joshua Roach, MD, and Robin LeGallo, MD, led the students through a bronchoscopy simulation and pulmonary pathology sessions.
Discover Medicine is grateful for all of the volunteers and students that participated in this incredible event. Please reach out to organizer James Mbualungo if you are a Medical or BIMS student and would like to volunteer for future events!
Article written by Nicole Kirk and Sam Young.
Filed Under: Community, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Education