Brooklyn Wrightbarber, a 9-year-old from Detroit, had four Wayne State University School of Medicine medical students amazed at her recall of the components of the human brain.
As second-year medical student Hasan Naserdean pointed to the various segments of a real human brain, young Brooklyn rattled off their names and their functions.
"I think we have a neurosurgeon," said one of the other medical students manning one of the hands-on learning stations during the 29th annual Reach Out to Youth, held in WSU's Scott Hall and Mazurek Medical Education Commons on Feb. 24.
Presented by the School of Medicine's Black Medical Association chapter, the event seeks to introduce children ages 7 to 11 in underrepresented populations to the possibility of careers in science and medicine. Reach Out to Youth provides urban youth a window into the world of medicine and an understanding that they can cultivate careers in that world. Students explore medicine and science through hands-on workshops and activities presented by medical students and faculty.
"It's important to give back to the community and that these children see someone who looks like them in the field of medicine," said first-year medical student Destiny Stroman 27, of Detroit. "I was influenced by the doctors I knew growing up. I remember their names, how they interacted with me. It was important to me. I also had some teaching opportunities as an undergrad (at WSU) and I found it fun to work with children."
Stroman, who is interested in Internal Medicine and Dermatology, was teaching sessions on the brain, nutrition and how exercise can positively affect the brain and memory.
The theme of this year's Reach Out to Youth was "Fitness and Nutrition: Don't Just Think About It, Be About It." Before the young visitors explored the anatomy of the human brain and heart using real organs, they warmed up in the Scott Hall cafeteria by expending some calories dancing with the WSU mascot "W."
While the student visitors explored medicine and the brain, their parents attend sessions on a variety of topics, including preparing children for careers in medicine.
The interaction between medical students and the children is a critical component of Reach Out to Youth, which attract several hundred children and their parents each year.
"I feel that if we want to be good doctors we have to have strong ties to the community," John Orelien, 25, a second-year medical student explained. "We don't often get that chance because we spend so much time studying, so this is a way to give back to the community. And I love to see how the kids react and have a great time."
Orelien, born in Haiti, raised in Florida and a graduate of the University of Central Florida is considering a career in Emergency Medicine or as a surgeon.
Reach Out to Youth was founded by Carolyn King, M.D., a 1993 graduate of the WSU School of Medicine, and Don Tynes, M.D., a 1995 graduate. Dr. King continues to serve as an adviser for the event.