Fifth Graders Become Doctors for a Day
TTUHSC School of Medicine Students to Host Mini Camp
Nevah Walker, along with more than 40 other fifth graders from Wolffarth Elementary School, had a lesson in what it is like to walk in the shoes of a medical student.
“I thought I wanted to be a firefighter, but I didn’t know you could do so much as a doctor,” Walker said. “We learned that when you eat it goes down to your intestines, where your body makes saliva. The best part was getting to work with the mannequins and the ultrasound.”
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Student National Medical Association (SNMA) hosted Walker and her classmates for the Doctors for a Day Mini Camp in efforts to inspire and inform the elementary students to experience a day in the life of a medical student. Briget Hyde, SNMA president and second-year TTUHSC medical student, said the organization created the event as an interactive and fun way to expose students to the field of medicine.
“Doctors for a Day gives the students opportunities to discover medicine in an engaging environment but most importantly, our hope is the experience will cultivate a student’s interest in medicine as a potential career path.”
Students received a hands-on experience at the TTUHSC F. Marie Hall SimLife Center by diagnosing patients with different medical scenarios, working with ultrasound equipment to learn how they are used by physicians, working with simulation mannequins in the simulation lab and seeing an emergency simulation act. Hyde said it is important to start sowing the seeds of higher education at these early and pivotal stages.
“We want to get students thinking about medicine as early as elementary school, especially underserved and underrepresented minorities,” Hyde said. “Many students never may have imagined they too can go into this profession. When minority students see medical students who look like them in white coats, our hope is that the students will walk away knowing they too can become a doctor. The experience is invaluable and immeasurable.”
Fifth grader Jakobe Deleon agreed Doctors for a Day was eye opening and fun. When asked what was the best part of the day, he responded, “All of it!”
Related Stories
How Does Your Garden Grow?
As spring approaches, some people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Whether it’s a flower garden they desire or a vegetable garden want to have, they begin planning what they’ll plant and what they need to do to ensure a successful garden.
Adopt a Growth Mindset for a Better Life
A “growth mindset” accepts that our intelligence and talents can develop over time, and a person with that mindset understands that intelligence and talents can improve through effort and learning.
Drug Use, Family History Can Lead to Heart Disease in Younger Adults
Abstaining from drug abuse and an early diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) can help prevent heart disease.
Recent Stories
Texas Tech Physicians Multispecialty Clinic to Open in South Lubbock
The Texas Tech Physicians Multispecialty Clinic will be home to eight clinical services including cardiology, endocrinology, family medicine, internal medicine, orthopaedics (sports medicine), psychiatry, surgery and urology.
TTUHSC Pioneers New Pathway for Pharmacy Education
The TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy is positioning itself for the future with the announcement of its new Pioneer Pathway, an innovative educational pathway that will leverage hybrid learning strategies.
The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Master of Public Health Program Awarded Seven-Year Accreditation
The MPH program at the TTUHSC Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health has been awarded seven-year accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) through July 1, 2031.