Pritzker News
120 Chicagoland High Schoolers Participate in the 2009 Mini Medical School and Biomedical Research Day
February 26, 2009—On Saturday, February 21, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine welcomed more than 120 high school students to take a glimpse into the world of medicine and research during the Mini-Medical School and Biomedical Research Day. The event was a tremendous success, as both high school participants and 60 student and resident volunteers expressed a great deal of enthusiasm for the shared experience.
“I thought it would be a great experience,” said Jessica Stephenson, a 15-year-old sophomore from Daniel Hale Williams Preparatory School of Medicine. Her favorite session of the day was the sheep heart dissection. “I got to learn a lot about the heart. I think the heart is the most fascinating part of the body.”
Over the course of one Saturday, high school students from 55 area schools sat in on panel discussions with University of Chicago faculty members, participated in workshops that included a sheep heart dissection, a physical diagnosis lab, and hearing from undergraduates, medical students, and residents about their respective paths into the field of medicine.
The Mini-Medical School and Biomedical Research Day is a part of Science Chicago, a year-long program that will provide the Chicagoland community with unique opportunities to learn, create, and explore the exciting world of science. While open to the entire Chicagoland community, the event also encompassed the goal of encouraging minority students on Chicago’s South Side to pursue careers in medicine and the biomedical field.
“Exposure is key,” said Erin Wright, a second-year medical student who was volunteering in the sheep heart dissection. “This might be the first opportunity for these students to feel a heart or talk to a physician.”
