GREAT FALLS — The Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Great Falls recently conducted a program called “MedAchieve,” which brings high school students inside the life of a med school student.
“It's a wonderful way to connect with the local high schools,” said Dr. Stephanie Zeszutek, Assistant Clinical Dean of Touro. “There's opportunities to come to medical school, work with the medical students as mentors to get hands on activities, to get a few lectures.”
On Monday, 13 high school students graduated from the program.
“I think this program gives a great snapshot of what you would be learning as a medical student,” said Simran Gill, a year two student at Touro.
Gill decided to become a mentor for the MedAchieve program because she had a similar experience at her high school.
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“When I heard about this program, I was interested to be able to have and play that role for high school students,” Gill said. “And kind of, you know, inspire them and then also give them a snapshot into the type of classes and what all we do as medical students here at Touro.”
CMR High School senior Elizabeth Dudden is one of the students who completed the program and is thankful for the opportunity she had.
“You don’t get this type of learning in school,” Dudden said. “It’s definitely hands-on.”
After spending countless Mondays after school at Touro, she now knows she wants to be a nurse practitioner.
“I'm definitely glad I did it,” Dudden said. “I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had to do it. I wouldn’t have had this information and education if I hadn't come here. I think it was really awesome opportunity.”
The partnership serves as an important window into the medical field in rural Montana.
“With us being here, we just want to make sure that everyone's aware that they have the opportunity in state to get this type of education,” Zeszutek said.
Students interested in signing up for the next MedAchieve should contact their school guidance counselors.
Touro provided the following information about the program:
MedAchieve is an after-school program in our local communities designed for high school students interested in pursuing a career in medicine. It consists of two programs: MedStart, which is the first year, and MedExcel, the second year.
During each program, students attend lectures and participate in interactive lab sessions with a focus on medical science. Each MedAchieve student is paired with a current medical student from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine who mentors them throughout the program, offering guidance for their academic and career goals.
The main academic goal of MedAchieve is to provide students with a practical understanding of basic medical sciences, designed as a two-year program mirroring medical school curriculum.
MedStart is the first step in the MedAchieve program. This first-year program focuses on the foundations of medicine, such as anatomy, physiology, immunology and genetics. Our approach encourages creativity in our students, motivating them to pursue their goals, while providing them with the skills and experiences needed to achieve them. Students learn in an engaging, interactive environment with personalized mentoring.
At the beginning of the year students are matched with individual mentors who are current medical students from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. Mentors work with their high school students throughout the program to help them understand the material and to provide guidance as they begin to explore careers.
