The Future of Medicine program, now in just its third year, is already making an impact on the lives of Sacramento-area high school students and fulfilling its mission of leading the next generation into health care careers.
“We started this program to inspire the next generation of health care workers — not just physicians, but all areas of medicine,” said Eric Williams, MD, the Future of Medicine Chair. “We’re only three years into this journey and we’re already seeing the impact. As we continue, that will snowball and we’ll be seeing these students go to college, maybe medical school, and begin their careers and inspire those coming up behind them.”
Future of Medicine was launched to expose high school juniors and seniors to the wide array of careers available to them throughout health care. Over the course of four weeks, they learn about the different fields such as physician specialties, nursing, pharmacy even careers adjacent to medicine, such as policy. Students also receive CPR certification, naloxone administration training, tours of the Vitalant Blood Lab and Museum of Medical History, and a heart lab conducted by Andrew Hudnut, MD where students handle and explore real sheep hearts. Many also get the opportunity to shadow a doctor and get firsthand experience on what life is like in medical practice.
Christene Santos comes from a family full of doctors and nurses but still found Future of Medicine an eye-opening experience.
“I never realized how limited my view was on medicine until I enrolled [in the Future of Medicine program],” Christene, who completed Future of Medince in 2022, wrote in an application to UC Berkeley. “At that point, I knew I ‘wanted’ to be an audiologist but it never felt right. I felt so lost that I even had doubts about if medicine was truly the right career path for me.” On the last day of the program, Christene shadowed a pathologist’s assistant. “It finally hit me how fitting it’d be to be a pathologist. I work with my hands, on my own, all while helping others. I loved it.”
Christene is starting at UC Berkeley this fall and is planning on doing the pre-med track to become a pathologist.
“Everyone knows about doctors and nurses, but no one knows about unseen professions like pathology,” Christene said. “Without taking advantage of this opportunity, there would be no other way I could’ve learned about this notoriously underrepresented profession. While I’ve participated in almost all of the other educational opportunities my school has offered, like taking AP and dual enrollment classes, taking AVID, having leadership positions in numerous clubs, participating in sports, and doing the CTE pathway with Kids Helping Kids, none of these opportunities, while significant, have truly impacted my trajectory as much as the SSVMS program has.”
Everyone knows about doctors and nurses, but no one knows about unseen professions like pathology. Without taking advantage of this opportunity, there would be no other way I could’ve learned about this notoriously underrepresented profession.”
Future of Medicine students have shared that it led them to want become nurses, pediatricians, surgeons, psychiatrists, PAs, and more. “I’m hoping to pursue a career in orthopedics and become a surgeon,” one student said. “I’ve always loved how the body works and helping people get better has always been a passion of mine.” The Future of Medicine led another student to want to become a medical malpractice attorney in order to defend physicians in the legal system.
On the last day, Keisuke Nakagawa, MD from UC Davis holds a session on computers in medicine and what technology, including artificial intelligence holds for the profession and how it is, literally, the future in medicine. It also gives them a chance to learn real-life skills, such as the CPR training that can be essential in a job such as a pool lifeguard or babysitter.
While we are exposing these students to medicine, not all of them will choose it but it will give them some concrete information to make a decision and will lead to happier and more fulfilled health care professionals. Future of Medicine also helps students recognize that even if they do become physicians, they are just one partner in of a wide-ranging team of technicians, nurses and even sanitary engineers who play a critical role in ensuring good outcomes.
“This is one of the great prides of my career,” Dr. Williams said. “I’ve been in medicine a long time and have great memories, but this is right up there.”
If you would like to encourage the next generation of health care professionals, contact Sam Mello at smello@ssvms.org. Opportunities include speaking with the students, accepting job shadows, and more.
Applications for the 2024 Future of Medicine program open on October 1, 2024. For more information, please visit www.ssvms.org.
By Brandon J. CraigSSVMS Communication and Partnerships Coordinator
