High school students immerse themselves in medicine through CMSRU's MEDacademy

From exploring medical specialties to presenting original research, 51 high school students spent part of their summer gaining firsthand experience in medicine through Cooper Medical School of Rowan University's (CMSRU) MEDacademy. The four-week summer day program introduces rising high school juniors and seniors to medical education and helps them explore their interests in healthcare through hands-on learning, clinical experiences and mentorship from CMSRU faculty, staff and medical students.

Students representing high schools throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem and surrounding counties participated in MEDacademy, where they followed a curriculum modeled after the organization of medical school. Each week focused on a different medical specialty, including pathology, neurology, cardiopulmonary medicine and gastroenterology. Through lectures, case-based learning activities and interactive experiences, students gained insight into the knowledge and skills required of future physicians.

Twenty returning students who had previously completed MEDacademy participated in the advanced MEDacademy Masters program. The two-week program focuses on human anatomy and provides students with hands-on experience in CMSRU’s gross anatomy lab while further exploring the complexities of the human body.

As part of the program, MEDacademy students completed group health research projects and developed posters to present at the program’s closing symposium on July 24. The event was attended by students’ families and friends, as well as CMSRU faculty, staff and guests. Thirteen student teams, each consisting of three to four students, presented their research projects.

The top honors were awarded to:

• Best Overall Poster: Can Gene Editing Cure Sickle Cell Disease? by Anabell Pena, Makayla Reyes, Crimery Ramos and Ngoc Pham.
• Best Oral Presentation: The Effects of Hormonal Fluctuations on Migraines in Females by Ava Weatherly, Emma Collazo, Isabella Fu and Shreya Mathews.
• Best Content/Research: Parkinson's Disease Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy vs. Sinemet by Charlie Presenza, Seshav Patil, Jai Sanghvi and Noah Smeda.

The program was supported by CMSRU medical students who served as teaching assistants, including Lilly Sirover, a rising second-year medical student who once participated in MEDacademy herself as a high school student. Years later, she returned to the program as a mentor, helping guide the next generation of aspiring physicians alongside fellow CMSRU medical students Andrew Keane, Arwa Muhamed, Payal Amin, Alex Colman and Dani Hernandez. Matt Stone and Isabelle Pappas served as teaching assistants for MEDacademy Masters.

"The success of MEDacademy is truly a team effort," said Michael Green, an education program specialist who coordinates MEDacademy and MEDacademy Masters on behalf of CMSRU. "We are incredibly grateful to the TAs, as well as the many CMSRU faculty members who generously shared their time and expertise by leading special sessions throughout the program. Their willingness to inspire these students and provide them with an authentic glimpse into medicine is what makes MEDacademy such a meaningful experience."

In addition to gaining exposure to medical education and healthcare careers, students who successfully complete MEDacademy earn three undergraduate credits from Rowan University, while students who complete MEDacademy Masters earn an additional two credits. The five credits can be applied directly toward the Biology major at Rowan University or toward elective credit for students pursuing other majors.

MEDacademy is held annually at CMSRU and is designed to inspire the next generation of physicians by providing motivated high school students with an immersive introduction to medical education and careers in healthcare.