MIKE and Western University of Health Sciences-COMP Northwest

MIKE Health Club connects medical students to high school students in an interactive approach to mentored health education. The MIKE Health Club was launched in November 2020 through a dedicated partnership with Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest. During the inaugural year, ten first-year medical students volunteered for the program to serve 9th-12th graders at Sweet Home High School.

They helped present on a range of health topics from preventing chronic diseases, understanding COVID-19, evaluating the effects of physical activity, distinguishing the differences and similarities with medical and osteopathic doctors, analyzing the brain and exploring new innovations in healthcare. The medical students also coordinated with health professionals and invited them into the classroom to feature discussions on chronic pain, sourcing viable health information, introducing the variety of physical therapy careers and providing scientific methods of producing vaccines.

And, hosting the MIKE Health Club each week is no easy task. The demands placed on all the medical students at Western University of Health Sciences are daunting. So why do these medical students want to take on more responsibilities? They all agree that the experience they have with the students is rewarding. They gain vast insight into how to communicate with young people while sharing their own knowledge and skills. Some add that it’s their favorite time of the week.

Di Lacey, Associate Vice President at Western University of Health Sciences-COMP-Northwest, who helped found the MIKE Health Club, says the experience directly benefits the medical students. “MIKE provides a freedom where they get to be in control and learn. It is therapeutic and actually gets them through the week,” she says. “They thrive on being able to take initiative and build around them.”

Now in its second year, the MIKE Club is expanding with new topics and engagement techniques to provide even greater impact for the students at Sweet Home High School. Six medical students from the inaugural team are returning for their second year. They included lead mentor Madeleine Duncan, along with Benjamin Buchalski, Hannah Graham, Sol Khaitas, Antonio Maldonado-Liu and Nadav Menashe.

In addition to developing new topics, presentations and activities for the high school students, this enthusiastic group will mentor a new group of mentors joining the team. Together, they look to inspire young people toward greater health knowledge.