ON CAMPUS Medical Professionals of the Future Aspiring young medical professionals have created a space to explore future professions.
F
or aspiring medical professionals in the Upper School, the potential professional avenues a student can pursue sometimes seem endless. There’s cardiology and respiratory therapy, nursing and dermatology, dietitians and medical physicists. The list goes on, which is both daunting and encouraging. That’s why, during the latter half of the 2020-21 school year, Senior Anju Natarajan founded the Future Medical Professionals Club, which, with the help of Collegiate alumni, parents and other practicing medical professionals, provides a space for interested students to explore the various careers within the medical field. “I wanted to create a club that would give students real-world experience in the medical field and expose aspiring medical professionals to a range of career options,” says Anju, who, in addition to organizing the Future Medical Professionals Club, leads the Scientific Research Club and the Epicurean Club. Through hands-on workshops and visits from guest speakers, the Future Medical Professionals Club both expands and specifies students’ focus. Guest speakers such as Dr. Paul Caldwell ’88, who spoke to students about his work as an orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Christine Rausch P ’26, who taught students how to create stitches using suture practice kits, give students particular details about what their work involves while simultaneously showing them medical work they might have been unfamiliar with before. “There are so many different avenues in the medical profession,” says Dave Privasky, Upper School Science Teacher and supervisor of the Future Medical Professionals Club. “And the variety of speakers that collaborate with us provides a great spectrum to our students, who are really interested in pursuing all those different career paths
4 SPARK | On Campus
and exploring those opportunities they might not have known about.” For students of the Club, working with guest speakers — many of whom, in one way or another, are members of the Collegiate community — personalizes the medical field; it offers a face to the sometimesdistant medical profession. “Working with and hearing from alumni is definitely an enlightening experience,” says Anju. “It’s very insightful to see where they ended up, and it’s a comfort to speak with them and learn of their own professional journey and the challenges they faced along the way.” The Club also presents more immediate professional opportunities for students as well with regard to potential internships and job-shadowing work. “When we have an alumni or parent come in to share a piece of themselves — well, it’s a huge benefit,” says Mr. Privasky. “Often, the speakers will invite our student body to come and see them in their own place of work, which extends a student’s learning. They’re so willing to share what they do, and I think that’s a great gift to give.” For alumni, engaging with the students is an opportunity to share their expertise and connect with the current students of Collegiate, some of whom are sure to become future medical experts. “It goes without saying that our students’ education is enhanced by our alumni, who are committed to giving our Cougars every possible opportunity,” says Anne Gray Siebert ’97, Director of Alumni Engagement. “They want our students to reach the same level of success they have been fortunate to reach. They love this place, and we continue to be grateful for how much they give back.”
