Students Have a Busy Summer of Outreach, Education and More
For many of our medical and graduate students, the answer to the question “What did you do on your summer vacation?” is especially impressive and inspiring. Here’s a sampling of how our students spent their summers: connecting with younger generations, giving back to the local community and assuring the future of key College of Medicine programs.
Health Sciences Summer Camp for Middle Schoolers
The Drexel Office of University and Community Partnerships hosted a summer camp for middle school students from July 15-19, as part of the Drexel ExCITe Center’s Young Dragons program. Drexel faculty, staff and students volunteered to lead and assist with hands-on activities aimed at introducing the campers to health science topics and jobs in the health care industry.
The camp offered activities like tours of the SIM Center, Gross Anatomy Lab and Histotechnology Lab; demonstrations about physical exercise; and a discussion about resilience. The campers also learned about nutrition, cells and project management, and created community health murals.
Volunteers included 43 members of the Drexel community, representing the College of Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, School of Engineering, College of Nursing and Health Professions, and Dornsife School of Public Health. The College of Medicine’s student participants were second-year MD students Alfred Fustakgi, Jessica Lu and Kelly Minard.
Career Development and Health Awareness Summer Program
The City of Philadelphia has substantially high rates of child adversity, including child abuse, food insecurity, community violence, substance abuse and more. Given the heightened exposure of Philadelphia’s youth to adverse childhood experiences, Doger Norceide and Vikki Rueda-Juarez, second-year medical students, started a Career Development and Health Awareness summer program that provided 12 young men aged 15 to 17 with a paid, week-long immersion program held June 24-28.
This initiative was a collaborative effort between Drexel University College of Medicine, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Summer Fellowship Grant, the City of Philadelphia Anti-Violence Community Expansion Grant, and Educators for Education (E4E), an organization that serves and builds resilience within young adolescents who are part of vulnerable communities. The program followed the 7Cs model of personal development, encompassing competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control. Research demonstrates that when these attributes are cultivated in youths, they are more likely to engage in positive pursuits.
The attendees participated in activities such as CPR certification, visits to a Simulation Center and Gross Anatomy Lab, and “Dress for Success,” which provided them with dress shirts and ties. They also participated in a Career Day, where they interacted with professionals from orthopedics, vascular surgery, emergency medicine, family medicine, psychology and biomedical graduate programs. The goal was to use Norceide and Rueda-Juarez’s network of professional colleagues from similar backgrounds to better relate to the participants.
We aimed to provide the participants with tools to make a positive impact and empower them to inquire into the impact of health disparities present in their communities.
Doger Norceide, MD ’27
Having faced similar adversities growing up, Doger and I believe investing in mentorship programs for these children in Philadelphia is crucial for fostering their emotional well-being, academic achievement and overall success in life.
Vikki Rueda-Juarez, MD ’27
Vikki Rueda-Juarez (left) receives an eye exam from program participants. Doger Norceide (right) signs the cast of a program attendee.
West Reading HOP Leaders Secure the Future of MD Student Outreach
Second-year MD students Ashley Deng and Julian Rupkey, who serve as co-chairs of the West Reading Health Outreach Project (HOP) Executive Board, spent their summer ensuring that the campus’s HOP clinics can continue to thrive and grow for years to come. The funding for these clinics, which allow first- and second-year MD students to provide medical care and support to underserved populations in the Berks County community, comes primarily from public grants, private donors and allocations from the school. The programs had previously been supported by a 2022 grant from the Berks County Community Foundation (BCCF). Deng and Rupkey took over leadership of the West Reading clinics at a time when the previous grant funds had nearly run out.
The pair worked tirelessly throughout the summer to write a new grant proposal, thinking through what new equipment would most benefit the populations they serve so it could be included in their budget. They also had to summarize the HOP clinics’ impact and reach within the local community. In addition to writing the grant, Deng and Rupkey were charged with deciding how to spend down the remainder of their existing funds — a requirement before a new BCCF grant application would be considered — purchasing supplies they anticipate needing for the next few months to support multiple HOP-sponsored community free health fairs, new specialty sub-clinics and medical education workshops. They hope that new funds will be received near the end of the calendar year.
My role as co-chair of HOP has given me an appreciation of how much is required to run a free clinic, from student volunteers to supplies. It’s a big responsibility that has taught me a lot about leadership.
Julian Rupkey, MD ’27
HOP has been a valuable opportunity to step away from book learning and get out into the community. That connection with the place we will call home for the next four years is very meaningful.
Ashley Deng, MD ’27
Bridging the Gaps Interns Conduct Outreach, Explore Health Equity
Bridging the Gaps allowed me to authentically get to know the people, culture and infrastructure of northwest Philadelphia. I had the honor of forming bonds with residents at DePaul USA and getting to know their needs, allowing us to create programs to help them thrive. I am grateful I did this program, and now I have a new community in Philadelphia to call friends for life.
Sogand Karimian, RN, MD ’27
In July, Drexel hosted Bridging the Gaps Community Health Internship Program participants at the Health Sciences Building in University City as part of their seven-week, paid summer internship experience. Bridging the Gaps helps health and social service professions students gain a broader understanding of the factors that affect health in underserved communities.
Bridging the Gaps is a collaboration among academic health institutions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and approximately 100 community organizations. Interns spend most of the week volunteering with the program’s nonprofit community partners.
In addition to their clinical experiences, Bridging the Gaps interns participate in interactive presentations and weekly discussions on topics related to health equity. This summer, the health professions students engaged in a conversation with filmmaker André Robert Lee. Lee screened his documentary “The Road to Justice,” which highlights the history of racial injustice in America and asks how communities can move forward.
Neuroscience Summer Camp
Being a Neuroscience Camp mentor was one of the highlights of my summer. Interacting with the high school students was incredibly rewarding. Their curiosity and knowledge were unmatched, and I have no doubt that they will become amazing scientists.
Nishell T. Savory, PhD candidate, Neuroscience program
Each year, the College of Medicine recruits highly motivated high school sophomores and juniors to participate in Neuroscience Summer Camp, where they learn the fundamental concepts of neuroscience and basic lab techniques in molecular neurobiology, neurophysiology and neuroanatomy. Campers also complete a summer project that allows them to broaden their exposure to neuroscience methodology.
The program is run by Jed Shumsky, PhD, professor, and Michael Lane, PhD, associate professor, both in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy. Graduate students in the department play a pivotal role in the camp, leading demonstrations of lab techniques and helping to guide the campers through their final projects. This offers them the opportunity to practice their own mentoring and teaching skills while providing an enriching experience for local students.
Interprofessional Student Panel
Students from the College of Medicine and other Drexel schools participated in an interprofessional student panel at the Monell Center, a local institution dedicated to the scientific understanding of taste and smell. The event was part of programming for fellows enrolled in the center’s summer apprenticeship program, which aims to stimulate an interest in medicine and the biomedical sciences in groups typically underrepresented in the sciences who are pre-college or recently enrolled in college.
The panelists included:
- Talmadge Gaither, MS, medical student
- Kenneth Kim, MS, PhD candidate, Microbiology & Immunology
- Madeline Plummer, undergraduate student, Dornsife School of Public Health
- Martha Zitlali Victoria, BS nutrition and foods ’24, College of Nursing and Health Professions
The panel, which was held on August 1, was organized and moderated by Roshell Muir, PhD, director of the Office of Health Equity Research and Innovation in the Office of Community Health and Inclusive Excellence, and research assistant professor, Departments of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology.
Sharing my journey and mentoring students through the challenges of early career development was a deeply rewarding experience. I was fortunate to have had many great mentors who shaped my own path, and I believe that strong mentorship is essential for guiding a student’s career.
Kenneth M. Kim, MS, PhD candidate, Microbiology & Immunology program
Opportunities like speaking with the 2024 Monell Scholars allowed me to reflect on my journey and recognize the beauty of the lessons I’ve learned on my winding path to becoming a medical student. Being able to give back and share this with a budding generation of STEM leaders was an extraordinarily gratifying experience.
Talmadge E. Gaither, MS ’22, MD ’27
Anatomy Institute and Dissection Experience Program Bring Undergrads to West Reading
Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and being part of the AIDE team was an incredibly fulfilling experience. It allowed me to share my enthusiasm for anatomy and the medical field with pre-health students, which was truly rewarding. Working alongside the exceptional faculty this summer, after completing my first year, felt like a full-circle moment!
Sharon Shania, MD ’27
Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health invited undergraduate students enrolled in science-related fields throughout the U.S. to participate in an exclusive summer anatomy program: Anatomy Institute and Dissection Experience (AIDE).
Participants learned the fundamental concepts of gross anatomy and basic dissection techniques in a state-of-theart cadaveric laboratory. They explored the gross anatomy, microanatomy and neuroanatomy of the various systems and regions of the human body; practiced hands-on skills such as human dissection, suturing, auscultation and measuring vital signs; and developed clinical reasoning skills using casebased learning and simulation experiences.
The teaching team included the West Reading anatomical sciences faculty, and four second-year medical students, Kristen Scopino, Sharon Shania, Devina Persaud and Dylan Persaud, serving as instructional assistants. Participants in the Drexel-Monell interprofessional panel (seated L-R) Madeline Plummer, Kenneth Kim, MS, Talmadge Gaither, MS, and Martha Zitlali Victoria, and (at podium) moderator Roshell Muir, PhD.
Research! America Grant Funds Biomedical Graduate Student Outreach
Neuroscience graduate students Bridie Eckel and Laura Schoenhals earned a $2,000 Summer Civic Engagement Microgrant from Research! America for their project “Science Is for All!” The grant was used to fund the outreach efforts of the student group Biomedical Graduate Students for Diversity.
The group ran free hands-on science activities for four weekends this summer at the local East Falls Farmers’ Market. The presentations focused on cells and DNA, chemistry, immunology and neuroscience. The group also hosted a science coffee hour at Thunder Mug, a local coffee shop. The event gave community members, scientists and public health officials a chance to interact in a friendly atmosphere, with the goal of allowing community members’ science questions to be answered.
I have most enjoyed watching children and adults at the farmers market learn and be excited about science. They sometimes even suggest further ways of experimenting with the activities we bring. Their creativity is inspiring and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be involved!
Laura Schoenhals, Neuroscience PhD student
AIDE participants (center, holding certificates) with the teaching team: (back row, left side) Jen Lees, Sharon Shania and Dana Peterson, PhD; (front row, left side) Kristen Scopino and Devina Persaud; (back row, right side) Dylan Persaud and Bill Frank, DC; and (front row, right side) Kathryn Veazey, PhD.
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