Scholar spotlight: SooYoung VanDeMark, MBS ’20

Scholar spotlight

SooYoung VanDeMark, MBS ’20

Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program creates a student community focused on doing good

For SooYoung VanDeMark, medicine is a second career. “I got into it late,” she said. “And a lot of it had to do with watching the ways in which my grandparents died.” Her grandmother received hospice care while her grandfather died in a hospital against his wishes. “He didn’t want to die in a hospital, but my parents didn’t know what to do. To this day, my dad has regrets.”

That experience and the fact that her own parents are now retired and navigating the health system inspired SooYoung to pursue medicine with a particular interest in primary care. “I am passionate about the older population,” she said. “As a society, we really push older people aside.” That’s why she specifically asked for her longitudinal clinical experience (LCE) to take place at 65 Forward, Geisinger’s clinics designed for older patients. “From the moment you step into 65 Forward, it doesn’t feel like a medical facility,” she said. “Even in the waiting room, a patient stopped to chat with me — it’s so much better than a regular waiting room where everyone seems pressed for time. Pharmacists, health coaches, doctors, nurses and staff are all in a communal workspace. It’s easy for them to communicate and coordinate with each other and interact with the patient. And everyone knows who the patients are. There’s no rush. They have longer appointments. Everything about it just feels better, like this is the way medicine is meant to be delivered.”

Along with the satisfaction SooYoung gets from learning in a 65 Forward clinic, she said her own well-being benefits from the Abigail Geisinger Scholars Program. “Not having that crushing debt and receiving the monthly stipend really do help your mental health. And, in my class, there are 44 other scholars. It’s nice to be among other students who have the same attitudes as I do about genuinely doing good in our immediate community. We all say that on our applications, but sometimes you wonder if people will continue on that path. The scholars program keeps us on track and reinforces that as we progress in our education and experiences. Being a part of the scholars program is one of my favorite things about Geisinger Commonwealth.”