November 15, 2016

On Saturday, Nov. 5, more than 40 OHSU School of Medicine medical and graduate students, along with 10 faculty members, transformed OHSU Auditorium into a mini medical school. The event, co-hosted by the Student National Medical Association, Latino Medical Student Association, Global Health and Urban Underserved College, Youth Engaged in Science, OHSU Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, was designed to creatively engage middle school, high school and college students in medicine and science. Learning stations at the event included Brain in a Box, Cockroach Beat-Box, Build a Brain and Driving under the Influence. 

The mini med school inspires students to consider opportunities in science and medicine through hands-on activities and conversations with current medical students, graduate students and faculty. The event was attended by 123 students. 

"I think one of the best ways to increase interest in an unfamiliar or daunting topic is to make it engaging, approachable and enjoyable," said Mollie Marr, M.D./Ph.D. student (Class of 2019) and one of the lead planners of the mini med school. "I remember worrying about being smart enough to pursue science or medicine and my hope is that the students participating had the opportunity to engage with an activity and experience a level of competence. Ideally, they will leave feeling like they can do anything they want in their future careers, that all doors are open."

In addition to the science stations, faculty, departments and student groups collectively organized a panel of high school, college and graduate students. Presented with a theme of transition, the panelists told personal stories of overcoming challenges. Faiza Jama (pictured below, left), a senior at Roosevelt High School, and president of Roosevelt's Future Professionals Club represented Roosevelt on the student panel. "It's always my curiosity that drives me to do unexpected things," said Jama, who wants to become a doctor so that she can return to her native Somalia to improve health care and, "be the change that I always wanted to see as a young child."