2021-22 Philanthropy Impact Report

Message from the Dean

On behalf of the medical school Board of Directors, senior leadership team, faculty, residents, fellows, staff, and students, I want to extend my deepest gratitude for the many ways the medical school’s constituents are donating their time, talents, and financial support to advance our mission and to support our learners. Our annual Impact Report highlights and celebrates programs that our donors have so generously supported. Thank you for your philanthropic support. Stewarding these precious resources is a top priority. No matter the size of your gift, every donation makes a difference. Thank you!

I am excited to share the outcome of our year-long Empowering Our Future strategic planning initiative to create a bold new vision, mission, and strategic plan for our next decade. The three-phased process of discovery, shaping the vision, and translating the vision into action was comprehensive, thoughtful, and allowed engagement and input from across the medical school and the community. I knew from the moment I arrived at WMed that our commitment to excellence would position us for a bright future to become a leader among medical schools across the country. Creating an aspirational and inspiring vision would help us to define our identity and to build an even stronger culture.

Our new vision, Health equity for all in Southwest Michigan through innovation in the practice and study of medicine, along with our refined mission and values, and three strategic priorities, positions health equity as the cornerstone of why we exist and what we aspire to be as an institution. I hope that this inspires and excites you. I invite you to join us on this journey to make a difference in the lives of those we serve in Southwest Michigan, a place that I am proud to call my home.

THE DEAN’S CIRCLE LEADERSHIP GIVING SOCIETY RECOGNIZES

A SPECIAL GROUP OF DONORS WHO STEP FORWARD EACH YEAR AS LEADERS TO SUPPORT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL MISSION. MEMBERS OF THE DEAN’S CIRCLE ANNUALLY MAKE A GIFT AT ONE OF FIVE LEADERSHIP GIVING LEVELS TO SUPPORT THE DEAN’S VISION FOR THE MEDICAL SCHOOL, TO PROVIDE ENHANCED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS, AND TO ADVANCE THE MISSION OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL.

LEARN MORE AT MED.WMICH.EDU/ DEANSCIRCLE

Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, FACS, MAMSE

The Hal B. Jenson MD Dean Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

New WMed Promise Scholarship Program will benefit Kalamazoo Public Schools students enrolled at the medical school

On Thursday, November 10, 2022, at the medical school’s annual donor appreciation luncheon held in the ballroom of the Radisson Plaza Hotel in front of donors, medical students, community leaders, medical school faculty and staff, Dean Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, announced that the medical school will begin raising funds for a new WMed Promise Scholarship. This scholarship will be available to medical students enrolled at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) who are graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) and recipients of The Kalamazoo Promise. The WMed Promise Scholarship is a medical school initiative that is separate and distinct from The Promise and KPS. The fundraising for the WMed Promise Scholarship will be led by the medical school’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.

“Kalamazoo has long been recognized as a national leader in supporting higher education with the launch of The

Kalamazoo Promise scholarship program more than 16 years ago. Now with the WMed Promise Scholarship we can make a medical education at WMed accessible and more affordable for graduates of KPS,” Dr. Termuhlen said. “Our hope is that these KPS graduates will practice medicine in Kalamazoo after graduation and residency training.”

Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri, superintendent of KPS, and Von Washington, Jr., executive director of Community Relations at The Kalamazoo Promise, said they are excited about this new scholarship program that will offer a financial incentive for students of KPS to apply to the MD degree program at WMed.

“KPS is delighted that graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools will have access to financial resources to support their medical education in our community,” Dr. Raichoudhuri said.

“The medical school’s new initiative will encourage KPS graduates to study medicine in Kalamazoo with the hope that

Pictured (from left to right) at the medical school’s White Coat ceremony reception in September: Dr. Rita Raichoudhuri, superintendent of KPS; Lacey Burke, medical student; Dean Paula Termuhlen; Marah Ranger, medical student; Dr. Janice Brown, chairperson of the Board of Trustees for The Kalamazoo Promise. Both medical students are KPS graduates and Kalamazoo Promise recipients.

Homer Stryker M.D. School

they will stay here as practicing physicians to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” Washington said. “This is yet another reason why Kalamazoo is a great place to learn and to live.”

Dr. Termuhlen told the audience at this year’s donor appreciation luncheon that there are currently two students enrolled at WMed who are KPS graduates and Kalamazoo Promise scholarship recipients.

“We hope to increase this statistic with the WMed Promise Scholarship,” she said. “It is our aspiration that donor support will be used to create an endowment to fund scholarships in perpetuity.” O

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT THE WMed PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP AT MED.WMICH.EDU/WMEDPROMISE

Meet Dr. Robert R. Gorman, III

Fundraising Chairperson for the WMed Promise Scholarship Program

Robert R. Gorman III, MD, is a clinical assistant professor in the medical school’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is employed as an orthopaedic surgeon with Bronson Medical Group. Raised in Kalamazoo, Dr. Gorman attended Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS), graduating from Loy Norrix High School in 1990. He was awarded the Heyl Scholarship to attend Kalamazoo College, where he earned a BA in Biology. The Heyl Scholarship Program is a longstanding program for high-achieving students of science offering full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate studies in STEM at Kalamazoo College.

Dr. Gorman earned his MD degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1998 and completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Wayne State University Detroit Medical Center in 2003. He also completed a fellowship in foot/ankle and lower extremity trauma surgery at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in 2004. After completing his training and working at his first job as a physician in New Mexico, Dr. Gorman and his wife, Jennifer, moved back to Kalamazoo in 2007. The Gormans have three daughters who all attend KPS. They were attracted to Kalamazoo because of The Kalamazoo Promise and its inspiring mission to transform the community and stimulate the economy through a new generation of learners.

“It is my honor to serve as the fundraising campaign chairperson for the WMed Promise Scholarship Program. I pursued my MD degree before we had our own medical school right here in Kalamazoo. Now with WMed and the new scholarship program, graduates of KPS and recipients of The Promise can study here, train here, and eventually work here as practicing physicians.”

UMAKE WMed IS THE MEDICAL SCHOOL’S EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN THAT ALLOWS OUR FACULTY, RESIDENTS, AND STAFF TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT THE MISSION AND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.

LEARN MORE AT MED.WMICH.EDU/UMAKEWMED

WE RECOGNIZE OUR CATALYST SCHOLARSHIP

DONORS

WE THANK OUR CATALYST SCHOLARSHIP DONORS FOR MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE FOR OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS BY REDUCING THEIR LOAN INDEBTEDNESS. OUR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE HAS AWARDED 71 CATALYST SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE DONATIONS CONTINUE TO BE RECEIVED.

New Catalyst Scholarship Program launched at Catalyst University

In an effort designed to create significant change—the very definition of a catalyst— WMed launched a new scholarship fundraising campaign.

“The Catalyst Scholarship Program will help donors immediately impact the quality of life of medical students,” said Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, the medical school’s Hal B. Jenson MD Dean. “It’s designed to award funds to students as soon as possible.”

The Catalyst campaign officially launched January 27, 2022, at Kalamazoo’s two-day Catalyst University, a presentation of Southwest Michigan First, with an inaugural contribution of $100,000 from Zhang Financial.

A $5,000 portion of the gift from Charles C. Zhang and Lynn L. Chen-Zhang provided one MD student a $2,500 scholarship in Spring 2022 and another MD student the same amount for Fall 2022. The rest will establish an endowment named in honor of the Zhangs to fund educational opportunities for medical students for decades to come.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) compares tuition rates among medical schools and places WMed in the upper third of all private medical schools in the U.S., with an annual tuition of $66,900 for the MD program.

“Medical school financing is complex and challenging. Given that we are a private institution with no state funding and a small student base of less than 85 new learners each year, our tuition is higher than other medical schools. It’s really about funding streams and economics of scale,” Dr. Termuhlen said. “But we are committed to reducing our tuition through creative strategies while still providing the best faculty, services, and facilities to meet the needs of our learners.”

TO REVIEW THE LIST OF CATALYST SCHOLARSHIP DONORS, GO TO MED.WMICH.EDU/CATALYST

The majority of new physicians nationwide graduate with student debt, and WMed offers a relatively small number of scholarships, meaning the average student graduates with more than $240,000 in loans.

The Catalyst Scholarship Program officially launched with an inaugural contribution of $100,000 from Charles C. Zhang and Lynn L. Chen-Zhang of Zhang Financial.

Homer Stryker M.D. School

“One of the most important impacts of the Catalyst Scholarship Program is to keep the cost of medical degree programs accessible and affordable to students of all backgrounds,” said Jack Mosser, PhD, associate dean for Development and Alumni Affairs. “It will play a vital role in reducing expenses and help our admissions staff attract and retain students from the world over.

“Scholarship support is an investment in the lives of real students,” Mosser added. “It allows them to focus on becoming physicians without the burden of debt hanging over their heads. We are proud to be part of the educational landscape of Kalamazoo, and add to its reputation as the ‘education city’ fueled by programs like The Kalamazoo Promise. We all know that education is the catalyst for community transformation and economic growth.”

Funds raised through the Catalyst Scholarship Program have been awarded to medical students in need on a rolling basis. Donors who give $1,000 or more have been assigned a specific student or students as their named scholars by the WMed Student Scholarship Committee. Donors contributing $50,000 or more, as the Zhangs have, can create a dual impact, by providing both immediate scholarships and an endowment for a named annual scholarship awarded in perpetuity.

“This remarkable gift will allow our students to achieve their goals with less financial burden,” Mosser said. “We are deeply grateful to the Zhang family for their generosity and their commitment to supporting our future physicians.”

“We hope our commitment encourages others who might be thinking of ways that they can contribute to future generations taking the first step to becoming healthcare professionals,” the Zhangs said. “Seeing the impact of COVID in our community and across the nation put into perspective how vital it is to have leaders in medicine.” O

new Catalyst Scholarship Program was revealed by Dean Termuhlen and Jonas Peterson, CEO of Southwest Michigan First, at Catalyst University on January 27, 2022.

LEARN MORE OR MAKE AN ONLINE DONATION AT MED.WMICH.EDU/ CATALYST

The

WHITE COAT SPONSORSHIP

SERVING AS A WHITE COAT SPONSOR IS AN EXCITING AND REWARDING WAY TO SUPPORT A MEDICAL STUDENT AS THEY BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN. ALUMNI, PARENTS, FACULTY, CORPORATE PARTNERS, FOUNDATIONS, EMPLOYEES, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SPONSOR ONE OR MORE MEDICAL STUDENTS FOR $500 PER STUDENT. WITH THE SPONSOR DONATIONS, EACH MEDICAL STUDENT RECEIVES THEIR FIRST WHITE COAT, STETHOSCOPE, TUNING FORK, REFLEX HAMMER, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, AND APPAREL NEEDED FOR COURSEWORK AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. A SPONSOR CAN WRITE A NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT THAT IS PLACED IN EACH STUDENT’S WHITE COAT POCKET. THE STUDENT RECEIVES THIS SPECIAL GREETING AT THE CEREMONY WHEN THEY ARE PRESENTED WITH THEIR WHITE COAT.

WHITE COAT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Medical student Tierra Jolly’s white coat serves as a reminder that she’s right where she belongs

When she walked off the stage last September at WMU’s Miller Auditorium, Tierra Jolly basked in the moment as she donned her first white coat as a first-year student at WMed. And then she paused to add a little flair, pinning a small rocket to the coat’s lapel.

For Jolly, the white coat served as a welcome reminder that she was right where she was meant to be, pursuing her dream of becoming a physician. And with the pin, Jolly was honoring her infant daughter, Rocket, who died in 2017, keeping her close to her heart, and never forgetting the trials and triumphs of the journey that brought Jolly and her family to Kalamazoo.

“There’s just something about the white coat that makes you feel like you belong the moment you get it,” said Jolly, 40, who is a native of Washington, D.C.

For Jolly, the MD Class of 2025 White Coat Ceremony on September 11, 2021, was a significant moment in the early stage of her first year at WMed. Just a day prior to the event, she and her classmates had taken their first-ever summative exam for the Molecular Foundations of Health and Disease course and Jolly didn’t pass the test. She was devastated.

“I didn’t want to go to the white coat ceremony,” Jolly recalled. “I felt like I was going to show up and everyone would know, and I questioned whether I belonged here. It wasn’t until I walked onto the stage at Miller and Dean Termuhlen put the white coat on me that I thought, ‘I do belong here.’

“When you fail an exam in medical school, your self-confidence is blown to bits,” Jolly added. “I felt so good in my white coat that day that I wore it to my remediation the next week and I passed the test. For my first two summative exams I wore my white coat because I needed that reminder that I belonged here.”

Along with her white coat, Jolly said the ceremony last September helped remind her of the support that exists for WMed students from faculty and staff, as well as donors to the medical school’s White Coat Sponsorship Program. Inside her white coat the day she received it was a note from her white coat sponsors, Steve and Amy McKiddy, welcoming her to Kalamazoo and the medical profession.

LEARN MORE AT MED.WMICH.EDU/GIVING/ WHITECOAT

Since that time, Jolly and her husband, Rusty, and their three children—ages 5, 3, and 2—have formed a formidable bond with the McKiddys and have found an outlet and support system as both families have children with disabilities.

“I came to medical school and I’m older and married and a parent, and I have all of these kids and they’re disabled, and I talk about disability a lot,” Jolly said. “Those are marks of difference that can make it harder for other people to feel like they can connect with you. So, with the McKiddys, they invite my whole family over to their home, they see that my son has Down syndrome, and they think he’s adorable. They enlist their sons, one of whom has autism, to keep an eye on our children so we can

actually have adult conversation. And then I learn that the reason Steve is involved as a white coat sponsor is that he was born with cerebral palsy.

“It really was an opportunity where I felt like I was finally being seen instead of just feeling like the old lady in class.”

Now, all these months later, Jolly is now in her second year at WMed. The rigors of medical school haven’t been easy, but Jolly said she has been buoyed by the support of the McKiddys—her children are learning to read from books given to the family by the McKiddys—and a close-knit group of classmates who have become her close friends.

“Part of the reason I chose to come to WMed was because of its stated commitment to diversity and everything I read showed there wasn’t a culture of competition,” Jolly said. “My classmates have been there to help tutor me or accompany me to anatomy lab for review. They are the reason why I’m still here from an academic standpoint. They keep showing up for me and it’s really amazing. I feel really grateful.”

Jolly has also become involved in the community and serves on the board of the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. She and her husband have become best friends with their next-door neighbors. Her children each have a stethoscope and they practice checking heart and lung sounds on one another.

“We’re in a good place right now,” she said.

As she moves forward, Jolly has her eyes on a future in medicine that will allow her to work with pediatric patients and potentially pursue anesthesiology as her specialty. Her white coat will accompany her as her journey continues. So will the rocket pin on the coat’s lapel.

“The white coat, actually, is very uncomfortable but every time I put it on I know what it means,” Jolly said. “It has your name embroidered into it, it’s yours. It’s always that reminder that you belong here.” O

WHITE COAT SPONSOR OF THE YEAR 2022

WE RECOGNIZE THE JAMES R. RYAN FAMILY FOUNDATION AND DR. THOMAS AND MRS. DEB RYAN AS OUR WHITE COAT SPONSOR OF THE YEAR FOR THEIR PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP IN SUPPORT OF 20 STUDENTS.

PHILANTHROPIC VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 2022

WE RECOGNIZE MR. STEVE MCKIDDY, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT GREENLEAF TRUST, AS OUR PHILANTHROPIC VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR FOR HIS DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE DEAN’S CIRCLE LEADERSHIP GIVING SOCIETY AND THE CO-CHAIR, ALONG WITH HIS WIFE AMY, OF THE WHITE COAT SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM.

BUSINESS DONOR OF THE YEAR 2022

WE RECOGNIZE STRYKER CORPORATION AS OUR BUSINESS DONOR OF THE YEAR FOR THEIR PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN MEDICINE.

Stryker partnership enhances medical school’s community impact

Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan are extremely fortunate to have Stryker, a Fortune 500 company, headquartered in our community—not only for the economic vitality and the jobs this world-class employer brings to our community, but also because of the social impact investments the company is making. During the 2021-22 school year, Stryker invested in six youth development educational programs at WMed that created tremendous value and impact for area youth and future physicians. These six initiatives included the: n Pediatric Literacy Program, n Early Entry Introduction to Health Careers Program, n Summer Internship Program, n Albion College 4+4 Program Summer Emersion, n Annual Research Day, n Street Medicine Kalamazoo Program.

PEDIATRIC LITERACY PARTNERSHIP

FOUNDATION DONOR OF THE YEAR 2022

WE RECOGNIZE THE TYLER LITTLE FAMILY FOUNDATION AS OUR FOUNDATION DONOR OF THE YEAR FOR THEIR PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT OF OUR CATALYST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

To support pediatric literacy in Kalamazoo, the care team in the WMed Health Pediatrics clinic are making sure that every child coming to see a pediatrician can select an age-appropriate book to excite and support their interest in reading. Medical providers not only treat patients, but also stimulate their intellectual curiosity and love of reading. Funding from Stryker made it possible for WMed to continue this initiative.

EARLY INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CAREERS AND SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Early Introduction to Health Careers pathway programs are a multi-pronged initiative to empower underrepresented elementary, middle, and high school students in Southwest Michigan and fuel their dreams of future careers in the biomedical science and healthcare fields. Funding from Stryker made it possible for the medical school to do more programming for the youth of Kalamazoo. In addition, Stryker philanthropic support enabled a pilot project for 10 paid summer internships for students underrepresented in medicine to gain hands-on experiences at the medical school. Starting next summer, this new Science Research Enrichment Program will pair incoming first- and second-year college students with a WMed scientist for a six-week research experience in the laboratories at the medical school.

ALBION COLLEGE 4+4 PROGRAM SUMMER EMERSION

The Albion College 4+4 Program is a unique collaboration between Albion College and WMed that offers qualified students the opportunity to pursue an MD degree at the medical school after receiving their BA degree from Albion College. Supported by Stryker funding, the three students who are part of the first cohort of the program spent a week in Kalamazoo where they became immersed in the medical school.

They had a full itinerary of events that allowed them to learn about the admissions process and student life. They toured the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus; met with academic advisers and the dean; had lunch and dinner with students, faculty, and staff; learned about research; attended a Seminar in Investigative Medicine event; took part in gross anatomy events with faculty from the Department of Biomedical Sciences; attended the Class of 2022 commencement; participated in an exercise in the Simulation Center; and attended a clinical medical ethics case discussion.

ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY

The Annual Kalamazoo Community Medical and Health Sciences Research Day is a proud tradition of medical and health sciences research in the region, and it offers an opportunity to develop and promote the richness and diversity of research in the local medical community. With more than 100 abstracts, 25 oral presentations, and 77 poster presentations, the event included research projects from WMed faculty and students, faculty and master’s and PhD students from Western Michigan University, as well as the University of Toledo College of Medicine; Wright State University; Central Michigan University; Ferris State University; Michigan Technological University; Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services; Wayne State University School of Medicine, and the YWCA of Kalamazoo. Stryker provided funding for awards that went to Research Day winners.

STREET MEDICINE KALAMAZOO

Street Medicine Kalamazoo (SMKzoo) provides medical care to unhoused individuals on the streets, in the encampments, and shelters where they are temporarily housed. The care team includes medical students, resident physicians, and attending physicians from WMed. SMKzoo’s model of care overcomes systemic barriers by taking medical care directly to the people and establishing a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the unhoused community. The program also gives learners an opportunity to better understand the social determinants of health and their impacts on health status, outcomes, and care delivery. Over the last two years, the team has taken care of over 300 unhoused individuals, performing over 1,500 clinical visits. Philanthropy and donor support from Stryker, as well as many others, has assisted with the employment of dedicated personnel, purchase of medical equipment, and funding for patient assistance, such as transportation and purchase of prescription medications, as well as the future acquisition of a mobile unit. The team is very appreciative of the support that it has received from the Kalamazoo community in fulfilling its mission. O

STUDENT-LED PHILANTHROPY PROJECTS

WMed student Garden Interest Group benefits the Kalamazoo community

The Garden Interest Group (GIG) at the medical school is having a positive impact on the Kalamazoo community while nurturing the passion of WMed students. Formed in 2021, GIG is determined to have an impact on the local community as a source to help those in need of food.

Their initial idea was to start a food pantry at the medical school, but space for such an endeavor proved to be a challenge. Undeterred, they turned their attention outdoors and came up with a new plan.

“We figured if we didn’t have space for a food pantry inside, then what about growing the food outside?” said M2 Tiffany Hangse, one of four student leaders for the interest group.

Hangse, along with M2s Noelle Fukuda, Samantha Mazurek, and Jennifer Vosters, began looking for a way to put in place an outdoor garden at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus. Their idea received resounding support from their classmates, as well as Dean Paula Termuhlen, MD, and they were able to break ground this past June. Since June 2022, the garden— which is made up of four raised beds and located in the southwest corner of the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus—has flourished. Students have been able to donate more than 100 pounds of fresh produce to Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries and Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes.

“We didn’t start off with a goal in mind,” Vosters said. “Honestly, I was just hoping we could get the garden started

and be able to donate something. So being able to say that we’ve donated more than 100 pounds of fresh produce is beyond anything I thought we could have ever done this soon.”

The students said the early success of the garden would not have been possible without the immense support from the WMed community, as well as the surrounding community. Vosters said that once she and her classmates knew the garden would become reality, they reached out to several local greenhouses—including Great Lakes Greenhouse, Pineview Greenhouses, and Wedel’s Nursery, Florist and Garden Center—who donated trunkloads of starter plants for the new garden. WMed leaders and faculty embraced the project, with the medical school’s Wellness Initiative and Student-Led Philanthropy Fund providing financial support to purchase planter boxes and soil. Erik Larson, PhD, professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, serves as the group’s faculty advisor, and students have an Instagram account to document their activities and progress.

“We couldn’t have gotten where we are without all of the support,” Vosters said. “Also, honestly, I think where the most happiness comes from for me is when we’re outside tending to the plants and so many people walk by and say how much it means to them to see the garden. I had one person tell me it makes them happy every day when they come to work and another person said the garden is the best addition they’ve seen to the medical school.

“It’s a sense of wellness people get from just walking by,” she added. “They can see the plants growing and how WMed is making a difference in the community, and it’s priceless how that makes you feel.”

Hangse and Fukuda said they have also enjoyed seeing the “sense of community” the garden has provided at WMed. “People sign up to water the garden, others will help weed the garden. We wanted it to be a garden with the entire WMed community, and it’s been really cool to see how everyone has come together around that.”

Mazurek, who serves as the interest group’s main gardening expert, said the garden has produced an array of vegetables, including zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, different varieties of peppers, broccoli, kale, and squash. Recently, she said the group used some tomatoes from the garden to make homemade spaghetti sauce that was served at an event for their fellow students. Looking ahead, Mazurek said members of GIG hope to begin succession planting during the winter months and start their own seedlings for planting in the spring.

More immediately, Hangse said the garden was approved as a site for the medical school’s Engagement and Discovery program, a 17-month service-learning endeavor that begins for students during their first year at WMed. This will allow more students the opportunity to work with the GIG. Hangse and the other leaders of the group are hoping to connect with local elementary schools to provide programming to teach youth about health and nutrition and get them excited about gardening and the process of growing their own food.

“Our number one goal is to have the garden become even more integrated with the medical school, so that’s why we wanted it to be a site for the Engagement and Discovery program. Even after we’re busy in our third and fourth years as students, there will always be someone taking care of the garden and making sure it continues to be successful going forward,” Hangse said. O

STUDENT-LED PHILANTHROPY PROJECTS

INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING STUDENT INTEREST GROUPS THAT HELP TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE KALAMAZOO COMMUNITY?

LEARN MORE AT MED.WMICH.EDU/NODE/3069

THE WMED FUND PROVIDES ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REAL IMPACT IN SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS WITH GIFTS OF $1 TO $999 DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

LEARN MORE AT MED.WMICH.EDU/ WMEDFUND

STEM in Action: Girls explore careers in medicine

In the fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Snow White’s sleeping spell was lifted after a kiss from Prince Charming. However, through creative storytelling, the faculty and staff in WMed’s Department of Pathology presented a new twist on the story to inspire Kalamazoo youth to learn about careers in medicine. “Who Killed Snow White?” was the question posed during the day-long interactive career exploration for the Merze Tate Explorers youth development organization.

Students of the Kalamazoo-based program learned about medical careers as young doctors on a mission to solve the mystery. Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety officers and detectives joined in to create the crime scene, teach witness interviewing techniques, and to demonstrate how to collect fingerprints.

The opportunity to experience the medical school’s Office of the Medical Examiner provided a behind-the-scenes look at the diverse careers in medicine and law enforcement. The students also had lunch with Dean Paula Termuhlen, MD, and female medical students of color.

The visit to the medical school by the Merze Tate Explorers is just one example of WMed’s pathway programs to advance its mission in health equity. These programs create opportunities to encourage young people from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to explore careers in health care and medicine.

After an exciting day of learning to use medical instruments in areas from toxicology to pathology, the Explorers competed in teams for a jeopardy-style medical quiz. The winners of the WMed challenge each received a miniature skeleton.

Aliah Ward, a high school senior from Kalamazoo, said the experience motivated her even more to become a pediatrician. La’Niya Taylor, a 7th grader from Battle Creek, said the experience of wearing medical scrubs and looking at tissue through a microscope made her dream of becoming a doctor even more of a reality.

“I want to become a doctor because I love to help and care for others,” La’Niya said. “After today, I already have one day of being a doctor.”

Sonya Hollins founded the Merze Tate Explorers in 2008 to expose youth to career and college exploration through hands-on experiences. The organization celebrates the life of educator and world traveler Merze Tate, a 1927 graduate of Western Michigan University. Since the founding of the organization, students have visited colleges and traveled internationally as young journalists on a mission to find their passion.

Partnerships with those in the education and business sectors have led to unique experiences for girls in 3rd to 12th grades. In 2021, Western Michigan University, in recognition of the inspiring life of WMU Alumna Merze Tate, renamed its University College as Merze Tate College. O

A life-changing gift

Dr. Ernie Morton, a graduate of the WMed MD Class of 2022, makes his rounds as a urology resident at Emory University Medical Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. A significant influence on his decision to study medicine stemmed from his experiences with his grandparents’ health issues. But it was the death of his paternal grandparents that most influenced his desire to become a physician.

“Unfortunately, I was never able to meet my paternal grandparents because they both died from cancer before I was born,” Dr. Morton said. Morton’s father is African American, and his mother is Caucasian. He often wonders if race and the economic status of his grandparents played a role in their medical care.

“Having one set of grandparents who died at an early age caused me to truly cherish the time that I was able to spend with my maternal grandparents and was the impetus for my interest in medicine.”

Dr. Morton was recently named the WMed’s first Alumni President. As he and his family celebrate the first physician in the family, he admits that the educational journey was often met with significant financial challenges. After graduating from East Kentwood High School, he was admitted to Central Michigan University (CMU). He had heard of the enormous cost of medical school and vowed to leave CMU debt free.

Dr. Morton secured a job as a delivery driver for an ice company in Grand Rapids, where he was promoted to become an interstate delivery driver with more pay. He followed the lead of friends who were taking part in research projects and seeking mentors in the medical field. After being denied entrance into several medical schools, WMed presented him with an opportunity that changed his life.

“After completing my bachelor’s degree, I was preparing to retake the MCAT when WMed offered me a position in their first cohort

of the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences (MBS) degree program,” Dr. Morton said. “This graduate program allowed me the opportunity to strengthen my educational foundation by taking classes alongside medical students. It guaranteed me acceptance into the MD program the following year.”

Dr. Morton’s good fortune continued when he became one of the first scholarship recipients of the Jon Stryker and Slobodan Randjelovic Diversity Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide support for students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine to pursue the medical school’s MBS and MD degree programs. This scholarship program plays a significant role in keeping the cost of tuition manageable and reducing the loan debt students often face to complete their medical education.

“Managing student debt can be extremely stressful and can impact the choice of discipline in medicine students focus on for their careers,” Dr. Morton said. “However, receiving scholarships truly lessens the stress associated with student loan debt. It allowed me more time to focus on my studies and to confidently select the area of medicine I was most interested in.”

As he furthers his career as a urologist, he is committed to ensuring health equity for his patients regardless of race or economic status. The generous gifts from WMed donors have made a profound difference in his life. He has already begun giving back as a donor to the medical school.

“I acknowledge the support and investment that donors have made in me, and I feel a personal responsibility to pay it forward to my future patients and WMed students.” O

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT, VISIT MED.WMICH.EDU/ ALUMNI

OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI AFFAIRS

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine 1000 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008

Contact us at giving@med.wmich.edu or 269.337.6344 med.wmich.edu