3 minute read
Taking Off
In its third year, the Health Scholars Program continues to grow at a rapid rate
Something exciting is brewing over in Asher Science Center. Don’t worry, Dr. Fraley isn’t blowing anything up.
The Health Scholars Program, which welcomed its inaugural class in 2018, is booming as more students than ever look to Georgetown College as the best choice for helping them reach their dream of a career in medicine.
As the inaugural class of Health Scholars prepares to graduate in 2022 and begin the next phase of an exciting journey into medicine, those in the program reflect on its humble beginnings and its bright future. “We were already doing many of the things the program offers students, but we wanted to streamline everything and make it more official,” said Dr. Tracy Livingston, professor of biology and head of the Health Scholars Program. “By making it more official, it would make advising easier, as well as making it easier for students to get those shadowing and mentorship opportunities.”
Designed for students interested in careers in health-related fields, the Health Scholars Program was established to help students identify their preferred career paths.
The program helps students narrow their focus by introducing them to professionals across different branches of health care and by presenting opportunities for shadowing, researching, and volunteering.
“The exploration piece is a big part of the Health Scholars Program. We want to present students with those opportunities to discover for themselves exactly what kind of career they want to have,” said Dr. Livingston. MEASURABLE SUCCESS With a medical school acceptance rate of 100 percent for fully qualified students, Georgetown College introduced the Health Scholars Program to continue this tradition of success and further aid students in achieving their dreams.
What has led to this success? “I think we do a lot of things really well,” said Dr. Livingston. “We really listen to our students and try our best to meet their needs. We can offer that personal attention that not a lot of schools can.”
Channing Baker ’22 will be one of the inaugural graduates in the Health Scholars Program. She served as the program’s first-ever student president and is applying to dental schools.
“The Health Scholars Program was the perfect opportunity to get more plugged in,” said Baker. “In a lot of ways, graduate school is about networking, and the program really gave me a leg up in that regard.”
As the program’s first-ever president, Baker has more insight than most on its trajectory. “We try to
get a wide variety of speakers scheduled because even though you may think you know what you want to do, you may end up switching based on talking with these working professionals.” Which is exactly what happened to Baker.
“For a quick second, I thought about becoming a veterinarian, but I quickly changed my mind about that,” she said. “I didn’t have to go to vet school and waste a bunch of money only to discover that wasn’t the path I wanted to take. I was able to discover my path right here at Georgetown.” A FUTURE OF GROWTH What does the future hold for the Health Scholars Program? For one, the program continues to grow at a remarkable rate. “I have more than 100 students right now, and we anticipate having about 130 or 140 next year,” said Dr. Livingston. “It’s been remarkable to see the program’s growth over the last few years.”
Students in the program also look forward to a post-COVID-19 world, when they can go on a medical mission trip. “We were so close to pulling the trigger on a medical mission trip,” said Dr. Livingston. “Back in early 2019, we had an informational session on a trip we were planning to Peru, and the room was full of students. That’s one thing we look forward to getting up and running whenever we can.”
The Health Scholars Program continues to grow thanks to the enormous benefits it gives students and the hard work of its leaders. Students who choose Georgetown College can be confident that they have a clear path to a career in medicine.
