For these HHS students, a career in medicine is a possibility

Hamtramck High School students have formed a club to pursue a medical education.

By Alan Madlane
A group of Hamtramck High School students already have their eye on going into the medical field.
They have formed a club that focuses on medical education. We spoke with one of the students, Mst Begum, who filled us in on their goals.

The Review: What first spawned the idea for your club? A health awareness type of a club is one thing, but you refer to yours as a “medical club” – do you intend a difference in focus or approach by calling it such? How many are leading the club at this point?
Mst Begum: At Hamtramck High School (HHS), there were no medical-related clubs. This caused a disparity in equitable access to healthcare-related experiences for HHS students.
There are many passionate students at HHS who want to pursue a career in the medical field but don’t know where to start. I started this club to give students a better chance at obtaining medical opportunities, which in turn may result in more students becoming better doctors, nurses, or other allied healthcare professionals.
Currently I am the President and founder of the club. Dawod Alrefai and Sownok Barua are co-vice presidents. Sheikh Jahan is the social media manager. Priyonti Roy is the treasurer.

The Review: Was there a perception among students of a need for such a club? Does it go beyond simple truths like “smoking, drinking too much alcohol, taking many of the available drugs or eating bad food are all bad for you”? If yes, in what way(s)?
Begum: Yes, students expressed a desire for a club where they could learn about their careers beyond the simple truths typically covered in health education.
While acknowledging the negative impacts of behaviors like smoking, excessive drinking, drug use, and poor nutrition, we sought a space to explore career opportunities within the healthcare field. The Medical Explorers Club is currently dedicated to helping those interested in healthcare.
By providing practical guidance, guest speakers from Wayne State, workshops like the CPR and Heart Dissection, and other resources tailored to the needs of Hamtramck High School students, this club seeks to empower, prepare and help make informed decisions that would help the students at Hamtramck High School to become the doctors of tomorrow.

The Review: How do you hope or see your efforts so far creating the “community involvement” that you are aiming for? Or is that still in the future plans, at this point?
Begum: With our collaboration with Wayne State Medical School and setting up of the CPR training sessions, we have been able to influence both the students and the local community. The activities not only benefit the individuals who take part in them but also fulfill our mission which is aimed at health education and awareness provision in the community.

The Review: Who have you had teaching your CPR training? Do they certify the participants at the end of the class(es)? Are people outside of students at your school also participating, or able to participate?
Begum: Our club invited Wayne State’s First Aid First program to teach our members the fundamentals of CPR. In total, we had over 40 students trained and given certifications.

The Review: What have some of your Wayne State Medical School speakers spoken on, topic-wise, so far?
Begum: Some of the topics that guest speakers from Wayne State have spoken about are CPR, blood pressure measurement, heart health and how to use equipment such as a stethoscope. Students are actively engaged and asking questions to learn more about the topic, and some had basic general knowledge about the topic prior to the meetings.

The Review: Has the club run into any difficulties – controversy, financial issues, etc. – or has it been pretty smooth sailing so far?
Begum: No, the club has not run into any difficulties as of now. Regarding funding, we are working towards getting more funding to support some of our bigger aspirations — such as hosting a community health fair.

The Review: What about participant demographics — do you find the participants more or less equal in male/female ratio? Is this club only open to certain students who have, for example, expressed an intention to go on to, or already been admitted to, a pre-med curriculum? Or are you trying to expand it into the general student population as well?
Begum: I think the club participants are pretty equal in ratio when it comes to male and female students. The Medical Explorers Club is open to all students, whether or not they intend on pursuing the medical field as their career — hence the name “explorers.”
Students are here to explore and learn more about all things related to health and medicine!

The Review: What is/are your ideal end goal(s) for the club, to consider it a success in your mind? What further steps do you feel you need to take toward achieving that/those goal(s)?
Begum: Our goal for this club is to educate students at HHS about the medical field so that, when they go to college, they are aware of some of the aspects it takes to go into the medical field. We want our members to gain experience and also learn about themselves and what they would want to pursue later on.
I would say that the club is successful, because many students are eager to attend the meetings. In the future I hope to have more collaborations with local universities!
Posted March 15, 2024