'I want to make a change and help out': high school students explore their interest in medicine
While many of their teenaged peers were still sleeping at home, a group of eager high school students were busy at work early on Saturday morning, trying to dispel the myth that the future of medicine is bleak.
About 200 teens showed up at UBC for Operation Med School, an annual one-day event also organized by high school students.
Participants interested in pursuing medical school take part in lectures and other activities to learn more about the field of medicine.
"It's quite amazing because you get to interact and meet people who are just as interested in this field as you are," said Tavleen Kaur, 15, one of the participants.
"I think one of the most important aspects of learning is being able to interact with people who are just as passionate about their subject as you are."
Kaur said both her parents are doctors and she has always been "fascinated with helping people."
Focus on global health
The topic for this year was global health, a subject event organizer Steph Stresing says she is particularly passionate about.
"I'm really passionate about that topic just from experience I've had in travelling to developing countries and seeing their healthcare systems first-hand," said the Grade 12 student.
Stresing said she was "pretty impressed" by how eager this year's participants were, despite the event starting early on a weekend. Some even showed up before registration was set up.
"I was surprised, in a good way. It definitely made all the hard work pay off," she said.
Surrey high school student Gian Soquana was one of those keen to attend.
"My dad was a doctor, and he's a very knowledgeable person and I admire him, and I admire how much he knows about medicine," he said of his interest in becoming a doctor.
Soquana is originally from the Philippines, where he said the environment is "pretty bad" and many people are too poor to buy medicine.
"I want to make a change and help out," he said.
The event was first held in 2013 and also takes place in Toronto.
