The Student National Medical Association at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is gearing up to host Dream BIG, a free community outreach conference for 50 Shelby County middle and high school students. It will take place Saturday, February 8, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the UTHSC Student-Alumni Center, 800 Madison Avenue, Memphis.
The conference is designed help participants develop skills, such as leadership, professionalism, cultural competency, and more, through fun workshops and educational activities. Student participants were identified through their school principals, social media, and youth groups. They will have an opportunity to participate in a number of workshops including cultural competency, obesity and exercise, goals and professionalism, team building, and safe sex and health practices. A clinical workshop will also take place where students will practice taking blood pressure.
UTHSC’s Student National Medical Association is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians. The group has sponsored the annual Dream BIG conference for the past six years.
Second-year medical student Bao-Vi Nguyen said working on this year’s event has helped her realize the importance of the younger generation. “Speaking with high school and middle school students about their future and career choices is meaningful to me,” she said. “As a first-generation student, I received help from many professors, advisers, and students before me. Now, I strive to take part in volunteer opportunities to help others. Participating in Dream BIG has shaped my future as a physician and has helped me to understand the impact that SNMA can make in Memphis.”
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