Doctors at SOH

Students Interact with MD

by Elma Gonzalez

“People who are interested in the fields of medicine and science should get involved in the programs offered here,” says Brenda Pitago, a senior who attended the first Bio-Medical Pathway/Cyberbridge round robin on April 17th. This event was the result of a unique partnership between Southwest High and Scripps Hospital, which also supports our campus clinic.

The event was attended by over 30 students who were mentored by 14 doctors from Scripps Family Practice. Students were divided into groups, and during two hours, each group met with a doctor, who answered questions about his/her field. “It was like speed dating,” describes Grisele Gonzalez, a senior who will be attending UCSD’s School of Medicine in the fall. The students moved from table to table asking for advice and about the physician’s experiences. At each station students learned to suture, check eyes, blood pressure, and reflexes. All while eating healthy snacks brought by the guests.

The greatest numbers came from the 11th grade Bio-Medical classes, but for seniors like Grisele and Brenda this event convinced them medicine is the field they wish to pursue in college. “They should continue to have workshops like this one,” says Grisele, “getting to meet real doctors is a great experience.” According to Ms. Stretcher, it was a unique experience for the teachers who were present as well. “Ms. Sandoval and I spent those hours in awe - watching our students truly engaged in learning about the medical field. We also learned a lot!”

This event was organized by the Ms. Stretcher and Ms. Sandoval, advisors for the Bio-Medical Pathway/Cyberbridge programs. However, they wish to thank the science teachers at our campus for encouraging the students to attend; Mr. Youngblood, Mr. Orin, and Mr. Buse did a great job in recruiting students for the event. Furthermore, a huge thank you to Dr. Armstrong, who “came and brought some of our visitors,” Ms. Stretcher points out.

We hope these opportunities continue to be offered at our school. Thank you, Ms. Stretcher and Ms. Sandoval for making this event possible and to all 14 doctors who encouraged our students to follow their dreams. To the attendees, thank you for representing our school in such a positive way.

Student Attendees:
Rebeca Arias
Jorge Beltran
Emilia Camargo
Francisco Castaneda
Valeria Corona
Amy Cruz
Elaine Dancel
Maverick Dykstra
Gaby Florian
Yasmin Garcia
Camilo Gonzales
Grisele Gonzales
Alejandro Gonzalez
Vanya Hernandez
Osiris Hernandez
Jonathan Hurtado
Aide Macias
Homero Magana
Elizabeth Maher
Samantha Marroquin
Juan Morales
Thuy Duong Nguyen
Alice Nguyen
Shanisa Pendgrath
Kassandra Perez
Brenda Pitago
Melissa Ramirez
Roberto Reyna
Ana Robles
Naomi Rodriguez
Azael Rodriguez
Uriel Rodriguez
Monica Ruiz
Daniela Ruiz
Oleida Torno
Sergio Vera
Cindy Yoquigua