USU and Walter Reed preparing HS students for careers in medicine

 
 High School Students Present Group Medical Research Projects to USU Faculty and Scientists

By Vivian Mason

Deservedly entitled to a celebratory cap toss, the 24 scholars completed the last day of their Science, Service, Medicine, Mentoring, or S2M2, program on Friday, July 28, 2017 with tremendous success.

S2M2, established at USU in 2004, focuses on “providing long-term mentoring and learning opportunities to students interested in pursuing a career in science and medicine in the context of military medicine,” according to the S2M2 mission statement.

A high school female props her arm, which is in a soft cast, up on a table while a military medical person shows her something on it.
Natalie Ruiz offers her arm as she receives overnight care
instructions for her soft cast, part of an orthopaedics
demonstration for S2M2program students.
(Image credit: Alyssa Taylor)
The program, held in partnership with the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, is open to academically motivated high school students entering the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades.

“USU and WRNMMC partnered to host the S2M2 program to encourage, nurture, and enhance the commitment to service and medicine in a welcoming and intellectually stimulating environment for a diverse population of high school students,” said Shawntell Williams, diversity recruitment specialist and S2M2 program director at USU.

Their weeklong intensive included lessons in patient privacy, research techniques, allied health, living with disabilities, the history of medicine, and the use of technology to enhance medical education.  Students also had the opportunity to observe a surgical suite and shadow a physician. At the end of their one-week experience, the students prepared short group presentations on various medical topics and delivered their findings to the USU community.

Students came from Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Wales to participate in S2M2, which has branched out to a number of military treatment facilities throughout the country because of its popularity. One family vacationed in Maryland so that their daughter could attend the program this year.

A female high school student is about to throw a ball at a small trampoline angled to bounce the ball back to her while a military person looks on
A student tests her physical abilities in Walter Reed-Bethesda’s physical therapy area.  (Image credit: S2M2 Program)

The students had only four days to research their presentation topics (which included cancer, schizophrenia, malaria, and sickle cell anemia), gather material and information, prepare slides, and create an accompanying brochure for distribution. All presentations included an opening speaker, an introduction of the researchers, their individual presentations on a particular aspect of the selected topic, complete with slides, and questions from the audience. Many of the questions were tough and difficult to answer, but the young researchers did their best to respond to them all.

At the end of the presentations, each student received a certificate of completion from Williams and Army Col. (Dr.) Jeffrey Hutchinson, chief diversity officer and acting Pediatrics department chair in USU’s F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine.

two female high school students practice suturing on bananas
Students practice their suturing skills on bananas.
(Image credit: S2M2 Program)
Dr. Arthur Kellerman, dean of the School of Medicine, which sponsors the program each year, relayed to the students that he grew up in a small town in Tennessee “where it wasn’t cool to be smart, but I loved science,” he said. “So, the local doctors let me spend time in health care.”

Kellermann said it showed him what his future could be, and he reminded the students to “remember that the choices you make every day will affect your lives, so the joy, commitment, and dedication that you show here -- make sure to bring this same spirit into your lives.”

Kellerman asked the parents in the audience to tell him how their children felt about the program. One parent stated, “My daughter talks about the program for the hour-long drive home every day.” Another said her daughter “was excited and full of passion about how much she loved it,” and still another parent revealed that her “daughter was excited about military service.”

As for the students, the overwhelming sentiment was that they wished the program was longer and that they could come back and do it again.  According to one young researcher, “I really enjoyed being here. It made me want to become a doctor more.”

A group photo of the students
Students from all over the country participated in USU’s Science, Service, Medicine and Mentoring program. (Image credit: Tom Balfour)