The Exploring Medicine Club orchestrated a wide-ranging spectrum of activities and learning-opportunities throughout the school year.
On Nov. 18, the club welcomed Dr. Melvin Field, a neurosurgeon who specializes in brain surgery for brain tumors and skull disorders. He is also the uncle of one of the club leaders, junior Ellie Engel! Dr. Field spoke about his path to becoming a neurosurgeon, his daily routine, and showed diagrams of the parts of the brain he works with. This impactful session included time for club members to ask questions to further their understanding of neurosurgery and medicine in the real world.
A few months later, beginning on Feb. 6, the club organized a week-long school-wide fundraiser for the Afya Foundation. This charity collects unused medical supplies and resources from health care providers based in the U.S., and delivers them worldwide to communities who lack this equipment. Many students participated in this effort, helping the club raise and proudly donate $840.56.
On March 17, the club heard from Dr. Avner Schlessinger, a professor of Pharmacological Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Schlessinger is the father of freshman Ella Schlessinger, a committed Exploring Medicine club member. Dr. Schlessinger spoke about his research, the team he works with, and how the medical world, including his own lab, uses AI in its practices.
On March 31, Nurse Kathy Gable visited the club and taught students how to perform various medical techniques. Most notably, Nurse Kathy brought syringes with real needles for students to imitate the process of giving an injection using the needles to extract water into the syringe and injecting it into an orange. The club also tested blood pressure monitors and ear thermometers.
As the year began to wind down, club leaders Hannah Wurzburger, Farrah Slonim, Ellie Engel, and I organized a game of Exploring Medicine Jeopardy to provide club members with the opportunity to learn about various medical professions, types of medicine, and biology facts.
The Exploring Medicine club is already planning on instituting new labs and activities for the upcoming school year. Make sure to stop by and consider joining the Exploring Medicine Club!
