Student Interest Fair offers preview of things to come

Navy Matthew Welch uses his hands to operate robotic controls attached to a box. Next to him Navy Ensign Andrew Wilsnack and Navy Ensign Sarah Wright. All watch a screen in front of them.
 By Christopher Austin

Preparing to be a physician can be one of the most gratifying goals in the world, but also one of the most stressful. Add to that the pressure of studying and being an active member of the military, and things can get taxing. To help with this, students at the Uniformed Services University (USU) have taken it upon themselves to form student interest groups based around their focuses both in the medical field and life in general.

These groups were on display at the Student Interest Fair that USU students hold at the beginning of the academic year to show new students what extracurricular activities they can take part in.
“All I’ve heard today is how much people study here, so it’s nice to go out and see what other things people are doing, and a lot of it seems really fun,” said Army 2nd Lt. Sneha Singh, a new student in the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine (SOM) at USU. “I honestly would burn out really easily if all I had to do was study. It’s nice to have a place where you can take a break, or supplement your skills in one of the interest group labs.”

Two people stand behind a table with a poster detailing the Genomic/Personalized Medicine (a.k.a. Genetics) Interest Group. They speak with a new student on the other side of the table. Behind them, are even more people at similar tables for other groups, including the Community Health Student Interest Group.
Prospective members meet with representatives of the different Student Interest Groups on display during the Student Interest Fair at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The groups offer students the opportunity to become involved in specialized fields of medicine before it’s required as part of their academic careers. This way, they can get a preview of what those different fields offer and can make an educated decision about their future. (Image credit: Christopher Austin)

The goal of student interest groups is to give everyone at USU an opportunity to come together with people who share common interests. These can be the kind you find at any university, like the USU Bike Club, which promotes riding bicycles as a primary means of transportation, or around sports like the USU Fighting Docs hockey team.

“I think biking is not only exercise, but it can be a lot of fun,” said Army 2nd Lt. John Sommerfeldt, a student in the SOM and the president of the USU Bike Club. “It’s a great stress reliever for students, staff, faculty, researchers working on projects… We’re hoping to find some races and have regular rides that people can join in on.”

Many groups are open to any students, staff and faculty who want to join, while others are focused on the academic pursuits of students. For nearly every field that a future doctor might want to enter, there’s an interest group that allows them to shadow medical professionals and even take part in certain procedures.

“OB/GYN is really broad and is comprised of primary care, surgery and procedures,” said Navy Ensign Sarah Wright, a second-year medical student in the SOM. She manned the Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest Group table at the Student Interest Fair. “It’s such a broad discipline, it’s really cool to see all these things, to go to the ultrasound clinic and watch the maternal-fetal medicine docs do a fetal anatomical screening, and then go watch a hysterectomy using robotic surgery, a C-section, a delivery.”

Several new students in military uniform and wearing school bags gather around a uniformed man representing the Surgery Interest Group as noted on the poster behind him detailing the Student Interest Group.
Incoming Students to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences attend the Student Interest Fair at the beginning of the academic year in order to learn more about the different specialties they can pursue in their future military medical careers. Each group offers the opportunity to practice procedures, meet professionals, and associate with other students who share their interests. (Image credit: Christopher Austin)

Normally, students in the SOM don’t become involved in such procedures until later in medical school. The interest groups give them the opportunity to get a preview of what lies ahead of them in those fields, before they have to make a commitment to them.

 “I remember coming in as a first-year medical student and realizing I was a bit overwhelmed by everything that was going on, and wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do as a future physician,” said Army 2nd Lt. Katey Della-Giustina who, as the vice president of the Class of 2020, organized the fair. “I think [the fair] is a good way to meet different physicians in this career, find out what they do and what they like about it. Also, if you’re into sports or religious groups, it’s also a good way to meet other people.”