Hear from IU School of Medicine students across the state who share their experiences in Scholarly Concentration programs in Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities (Northwest-Gary), Medical Education (Bloomington), Human Sexuality and Health (Bloomington), Health Integration and Healthy Aging (Fort Wayne), and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Muncie).

Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities

Maryam Sabir, Class of 2024

Why did you choose to participate in the Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities Scholarly Concentration program?

As a Muslim woman of color born to refugee and immigrant parents, serving minority communities that are disproportionately impacted by health inequity has always been a priority of mine. The Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities Scholarly Concentration at IU School of Medicine-Northwest-Gary offered an unparalleled pathway to gain greater understanding of health disparities in an urban setting through research and clinical experiences with the diverse patient population I hope to serve in the future.

How will your participation in this scholarly concentration contribute to your overall career aspirations in medicine?

Participating in the Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities Scholarly Concentration has helped develop my independent research skills and has vastly expanded my knowledge of public health and patient-centered, community-based health initiatives. As an aspiring emergency medicine physician, these areas of knowledge are critical as emergency departments often serve the primary care needs of underserved communities.

Daniel Green, Class of 2024

Why did you choose to participate in the Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities Scholarly Concentration, and how do you expect your participation to help guide your career in medicine?

Studying medicine at the Gary campus comes with a unique opportunity to integrate economics, sociology, politics, health care, science and a variety of other disciplines into medical education. The Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities Scholarly Concentration program helped me consider how a patient's environment and circumstances affect their health and why they may develop a given condition before presenting to the doctor. My participation in this scholarly concentration has given me a deeper appreciation for public health and the value of preventing illness before needing to treat it.

Medical Education

Emily Merritt, Class of 2024

Why did you choose to participate in the Medical Education Scholarly Concentration program?

I came into medical school knowing that I wanted to incorporate medical education into my future career as a physician. The scholarly concentration is actually one of the factors that influenced my decision to come to IU School of Medicine.

How will your participation in this scholarly concentration contribute to your overall career aspirations in medicine?

My participation in this concentration has only made me more certain of my desire to go into academic medicine and medical education. Between the courses, interactions with the faculty, and every experience I have had thus far with my project, the concentration has truly enriched my education and helped me to see where my future place in medicine might be.

Human Sexuality and Health

Keeley Newsom, Class of 2023

What was the inspiration for your scholarly project?

I realized there was a large gap in LGBTQIA+ education and exposure while in medical training, and I wanted to figure out how this influenced medical students’ knowledge and attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ community and LGBTQIA+ health. My hope was to find intervention points in which medical training could be improved to ensure that our future physicians provide affirming care for folks of all sexual orientations and gender identities. I sent a survey to people who identify as LGBTQUIA+ living in southern Indiana. These data have been really enlightening, and we are now using it to guide efforts to open a free, student-run clinic for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Tari Kurman, Class of 2024

How will your participation in the Human Sexuality and Health Scholarly Concentration contribute to your overall career aspirations in medicine?

I think the scholarly concentration will make me a better physician regardless of what field I go into, because I believe the clinical practices we use to improve health care for LGBTQ+ patients can be applied to improve health care for all patients. I also know that no matter what field I practice in, I will have patients who identify as LGBTQ+, and I want to make it easier for these patients to access health care and feel safe and comfortable doing so.

Health Integration and Healthy Aging

Michael Weber, Class of 2024

Why did you choose to participate in the Health Integration and Healthy Aging Scholarly Concentration program?

I’m interested in the physical, emotional and psychological changes that occur as people age and how health care systems might improve to optimize well-being throughout the stages of life. Participating in this scholarly concentration will help me become a better member of an interprofessional health care team, as well as gain a stronger understanding of the unique needs of an aging population.

Sam Stegelmann, Class of 2022

How will your participation in the Health Integration and Healthy Aging Scholarly Concentration contribute to your overall career aspirations in medicine?

I was impressed by the diversity of education I received through this program. I initially thought it would revolve around an academic research opportunity, but I quickly discovered that the curriculum was much more comprehensive, with established coursework in public health, didactic components, journal clubs, and other projects along the way that created an interactive, lasting education. My concentration in Health Integration and Healthy Aging was diverse enough to truly apply to any field I would wish to pursue. This program has taught me how much of health care occurs out of the office or operating room, and I will carry this knowledge and skillset with me as I advance throughout my career.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Brooke Strader, Class of 2022

Why did you choose to participate in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Scholarly Concentration program?

I chose to participate in the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Scholarly Concentration program because I am passionate about family medicine and helping people with their health goals. The best way to help individuals better their health is to promote healthy life choices in order to prevent major diseases.

How will your participation in this scholarly concentration contribute to your overall career aspirations in medicine?

Doing research into an area of health promotion for the State of Indiana has helped me become more in tune with the needs of my community. I will most likely end up doing some sort of research in my future career, so this project will help me hone those skills to use as a family medicine physician.

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Scholarly Concentrations at Indiana University School of Medicine offer an optional experience that complements the core medical school curriculum and empowers students to delve into topics of interest, benefit from the medical school's statewide network of experts and resources, receive unique mentorship opportunities, develop skills and complete scholarly projects that are valuable for residency applications and professional development.