Eight Lincoln-Way East students recently participated in Midwestern University’s Mini Medical School, a prestigious, application-based program that introduces high school students to careers in healthcare and provides hands-on training in medical skills.
Out of more than 600 applicants from across the Chicagoland area, only 100 students were selected, including eight from Lincoln-Way East:
Prachi Panchal, Bella Ni, Kai Spurlark, Jack Hanley, Theresa Ezife, Sophia Marin, Sophia Gudausky, and Damilola Alabi.
Over the course of five full-day Saturday sessions held at Midwestern University’s Downers Grove campus, participants worked alongside physicians, medical students, and healthcare professionals to gain hands-on experience in the medical field. Students took part in First Aid training, practiced splinting, suturing, and administering Naloxone (Narcan), learned to measure vital signs, and even developed a scientific poster and case presentation to showcase what they learned.
“Getting to experience different kinds of medical specialties and learning different kinds of skills - suturing, how to apply bandages, and pack wounds - that I wouldn’t be able to learn anywhere else at my age,” said Sophia Gudausky.
This program not only strengthened the students’ understanding of human biology but also gave them valuable insight into potential career paths in medicine and healthcare.
“My favorite part of the Mini Med program was how interactive and immersive it was. I loved getting to meet other students who shared my passion for healthcare and learning directly from medical students and professionals. The experience made me even more excited to pursue a career in medicine and showed me how many different paths exist within the field,” said Theresa Ezife.
“We’re incredibly proud of our students for pursuing this competitive opportunity,” said Maria WIlson, science department chair at East. “Programs like this give students authentic experiences that connect their classroom learning to real-world applications.
