The medical field is notorious for its difficulty. With years of additional schooling, grueling on-site experience and vast competition for the best opportunities, it can be daunting for students to find their place in an industry that has remained as necessary as ever.
Although many Fort students are dedicated to furthering their education in school by taking advanced science courses, they had found Fort Hamilton lacked a community where they could congregate and discuss their shared aspirations for healthcare professions. It was out of this necessity that the Youth Healthcare Association was established.
The YHA was born out of a desire to connect aspiring medical professionals and create a robust network of students interested in healthcare. Students convene to learn about the medical field; during these meetings, they learn how to do research designed to expand their understanding.
Founder Oscar Li was the main organizer of these lessons, with everyone in the club taking turns to present their own findings and passions for others to learn.
“We have started our goal of helping students get interested in the field of medicine,” Li said, recognizing that it “helped to show a more interactive and interesting side of the field that made [members] more passionate about medicine and health.”
Li’s intention was to create an engaging environment where members participate in activities tailored to their interests in topics ranging from the pulmonary artery to an assortment of medical specialties. These activities included playing games with a medical twist (such as Imposter, but utilizing different diseases as the hidden word, encouraging members to use their knowledge of the subject to win), career exploration in the healthcare sector, as well as hands-on demonstrations meant to help build valuable skills (such as drawing blood or properly doing CPR).Li believes that the community being built at Fort Hamilton’s Youth Health Association has yielded a positive impact for those interested in these scientific fields.
“We are a passionate small group of students who strive to become nurses, doctors, health specialists that can help benefit others later on,” he said. It is through the support, education and networking provided by the club that these aspirations can become a reality.
Established last year, Li’s passion project has blossomed into a thriving coterie where education is valued as a formative stepping stone to members’ future medical careers. The legacy of the club will be felt by those who share their passion for the future of medicine.
