Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2016 - (Page 8)

ISTOCK.COM/FPDRESS My Summer of Medicine Three Ways of Exploring Healthcare by Ajay Walther IN 2014, AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, MY SCHOOL STARTED THE MÉDICINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) CLUB WITH THE GOAL OF RAISING AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANT WORK THIS ORGANIZATION DOES AROUND THE GLOBE. DURING OUR CLUB MEETINGS, WE DISCUSS GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUES, THE SPECIFIC WORK MSF IS DOING IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, AND THE MANY WAYS DOCTORS CAN SERVE IN HUMANITARIAN ROLES. A National Student Leadership Conference lthough discussing epidemics such as Ebola in West Africa at our club meetings taught me a lot about healthcare around the world, I wanted to go a step further. I saw my summer vacation as a window of opportunity to gain exposure to the field of medicine and international healthcare. By the end of summer, I had attended a summer program in Chicago, volunteered in Nepal, and shadowed doctors in India-and had begun to envision my future. NSLC Medicine & Health Program Northwestern University I learned at school about the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC), which offers a wide range of career exploration programs on multiple college campuses for high school students, including Business & Entrepreneurship, Law & Advocacy, Engineering, and, the one that caught my attention, Medicine & Healthcare. I read online that students would hear from physicians working in everything from sports medicine and public health to the military and medical school admissions. They would also visit different medical facilities, learn clinical and surgical skills, and even make diagnoses in an E.R. simulation. I was thrilled to be accepted. As soon as school ended in late June, I flew to Chicago and arrived at Northwestern University, where NSLC staff greeted me and about 75 other students. Over the 10 days of the program, we participated in a whirlwind of activities: We heard engaging lectures on topics including medical ethics, toxicology, biotechnology, and the state of medicine in the 21st century. We took part in public health symposia, discussing health policy and researching Students participate in a simulation used by surgeons to practice laparoscopic techniques. Jan/Feb 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2016

Big Picture
In My Own Words CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
My Summer of Medicine Three ways of exploring healthcare
Teens Target: Public Health How high school students are solving real-world public health problems
Slowing the Race Addressing antibiotic resistance
For the Greater Good Majoring in public health
Epic Epidemics Studying History of Disease at CTY
Teen Health is Public Health Interview with Beth Marshall, Associate Director, Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Building Bridges Addressing health disparities through service
Becoming a Disease Detective Behind the scenes at the CDC
Finding Light in the Darkness Astrophysics at UCSC SIP
Girls Who Code Paving the way to careers in tech
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Iris Chang’s The Chinese in America
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with epidemiologist Christine Scott-Waldron, M.S.P.H.
One Step Ahead Summer in limbo
Planning Ahead for College Is medical school in your future?
Students Review: Tufts University
Creative Minds Imagine Essay contest winners
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2016