SXU Students Participate in Rush University's MLK Day of Service
Saint Xavier University (SXU) students from the Biological Sciences Department participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day of Service at Rush University. The day of service commemorates Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and supports underrepresented medical students, addresses the needs of underserved communities and increases the number of culturally competent and socially conscious physicians. Students had the opportunity to participate in various services throughout the day while learning about medical school.
The students attended multiple group sessions and panels to learn about medical school applications and even got to participate in hands-on learning with topics in CPR, blood pressure, suturing and incubating. They also got to listen to motivational speeches given by Omar Lateef, D.O., and Cynthia Boyd, M.D. "Listening to those speeches really helped us to understand some of the obstacles and influenced us to consider the resilience needed to excel throughout the journey of medical school," said Hana Tulemat, graduate assistant for Student Activities and current health administration graduate student.
As part of their service, students spent time interacting with high school students who dream of going to medical school. Jena Hunter, a biology pre-health major found the experience very enriching. "It was filled with positivity," said Hunter.
Like Hunter, John Draper, also a biology pre-health major, considered the experience fulfilling and inspirational. "We had people throughout various stages of a medical career come in to talk about their medical experiences and how to make ourselves better candidates for medical school," Draper said.
The day ended with a panel discussion by a team full of doctors who answered student questions and shared stories to motivate students to consider what their purpose is in their pursuit of becoming a doctor. "I really appreciate this event," said Martina Brown, a medical science graduate student. "It was so informative and really motivated me to keep pushing forward on the path of fulfilling my dreams."
SXU offers a post-baccalaureate certificate in medical sciences that provides students with all the required coursework needed to apply to and be successful in medical school or professional health care programs, offering the skills and knowledge essential to passing the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Like the post-baccalureate program, SXU's Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program helps students obtain the knowledge needed to pass the MCAT and is ideal for students pursuing medical school, as it helps students demonstrate that they have the academic ability to succeed and thrive in a rigorous curriculum, offers real clinical scenarios and gives students an opportunity to see firsthand how what they're learning is applied to health care delivery.
SXU is proud of its students who truly embody the core value of service and looks forward to watching them excel in their studies as they pursue their journeys to medical school.