On March 30th, the James Madison Medical House hosted its second annual Medicine for All fair. Hosted in the school library, the fair was a chance for students to find out more about medical careers they might want to pursue in the future and the opportunity to reach out to people who are already working in the medical field.
The medical field is one notoriously convoluted and hard to get into, so by offering students step-by-step guidance and early exposure, the medical house hoped to give them an advantage and to feel less overwhelmed by all the pathways available to them.
The event was organized by the Medical House Executive Board, also referred to as the E-Board. A group of students from the Medical House are carefully selected to ensure all medical house events are well planned and run smoothly.
Compared to last year, the Medicine for All fair has seen significant growth in attendance. Last year, “only about 15 people showed up at most,” said Alena Ivanouskaya (26’), the Medical House E- Board president. She goes on, “I am very proud to say that we had over 100 students come, and this wouldn’t have happened without the wonderful collaboration and ideas contributed by our board house members.”
Ivanouskaya remarks how she is so grateful for “great coordination with the dividing of tasks” from the board, giving special thanks to Co-President Jaden Kurter (’26) and Medical house coordinator Mr. Leka, with Ivanouskaya saying “I want to thank Mr. Leka for providing all of the necessary supplies and fostering the connections with New York Presbyterian hospital … as his first year of coordinating the house, he is already taking so much initiative in the medical house’s upbringing”
A shining success of this event was the multitude of members from the New York Presbyterian Hospital, such as physicians’ assistants, volunteer recruiters, and program directors, who came to speak about their professions and daily responsibilities.
“It was so amazing to hear about other people who are not only interested in the medical field but also interested in the same area of study I want to go into,” said Raykhona Nigmatjanova (’27), an executive board member and event attendee.
Being able to ask questions she might not have otherwise had the chance to ask gave Nigmatjanova a better idea of what she wants to be in the future and the steps it takes to get there. Nigmatjanova also mentioned forming a personal connection with the speakers, noting how their shared interest gave them “ something to bond over.”
Not only were there guests speaking, but Madison’s very own students created posters and presentations in order to run specific stations, such as the career exploration station, CPR station, arts and crafts station, and many more. Vice President Michelle Davydov (’27), who took charge of the suturing station, says, “I highly enjoyed interacting with other students and practicing our suturing skills together; it truly was an amazing event to share my passion.”
Although the Medicine for All fair allowed students to be educated by both professionals and their peers, but the event was not at all boring. There was bracelet making, keychain making, and even giveaways.
The biggest giveaway winner, Christina Aubourg (’27), not only had an incredible “time at the fair learning about different medical opportunities” but also “was so happy and lucky to be able to win that speaker”. The fully equipped JBL speaker was met with a reaction of astonishment and screams, asking anyone who was there. Aubourg proudly stated, “I’m going to be using it all summer at the functions!”
