Denison has many great clubs for pre-health students looking to get more involved in activities specific to their future career goals and to explore their healthcare passion. Here we highlight three of those clubs: the Pre-med Association, Medical Volunteers, and Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED). We contacted the Presidents of each club to share this information to our broader Healthcare and Clinical Research Community. Thank you to Morgan Gilmore, the President of the Pre-med Association and Sophia Danchine, the President of Medical Volunteers and AED for their responses.
Give a brief overview of your organization.
Pre-med Association- The Pre-med Association is an organization that is meant to help guide those who are looking to pursue a future in medicine, whether that be in the form of a doctor, Physician’s Assistant, or Physical Therapist. As we continue this semester, we are partnering with Medical Volunteers to give all of the members the best possible opportunities to not only help the community when we can, but also to benefit themselves in assisting the building of their resumes.
Medical Volunteers- This is a volunteer organization open to anyone interested in volunteering for the healthcare of local communities. We host events on campus and locally, such as nursing homes, Granville schools, and Licking Memorial Hospital. Our on campus events help out other individuals in the community, such as making blankets, cookies, and greeting cards during holidays for nursing home residents and Granville fire department.
Alpha Epsilon Delta- This organization is a pre-health honors society. Our main goal is to provide professional connections to Denison students, through inviting guest speakers in the healthcare field to discuss their experiences in their career. We host meetings virtually as well as on campus. We also collaborate with Medical Volunteers to help students become more involved in volunteering events.
How did you get involved with this club?
Morgan & Pre-med Association- Over the summer and past year, as I am a pre-med student, I was looking to join a pre-med club to help guide me in the right direction when it comes to my journey towards medical school. I also thought it would be a good idea to surround myself with others that have similar goals and aspirations. However, after looking on WhattoDU for a while, I found nothing that related to my desire. So, I decided to start my own organization. Over the summer I began to submit all of the necessary paperwork and approval steps to get the club going, and gained a very good membership through the involvement fair. Now, the organization is approved and we are starting up with a lot of exciting upcoming events.
Sophia & Medical Volunteers- I became involved in Medical Volunteers Sophomore year. I was looking into healthcare fields as a profession and was excited to learn that we have this club on campus during one of the tabling events on campus. Ever since then, I have been an active member of the club and grateful I am in the leadership role this year!
Sophia and AED- I applied to AED Spring semester of Sophomore year, and have been an active board member since my induction through helping making flyers, attending events, and assisting in the induction ceremony. We welcome any students interested in a healthcare profession. The requirement is a 3.3 overall GPA, minimum year at Denison is sophomore year. Applications are open in the spring.
Why should students in the Healthcare and Clinical Research community join your club?
Pre-med Association- The benefits of this club are endless, the purpose of this organization is to directly benefit the members involved. This organization is not a very large time commitment, and it is not meant to be. The events that are held are simply things that will benefit the members in the future in med school applications, in creating a good resume, or in helping boost grades in pre-requisite classes. This organization is made purely for the benefit of those who are involved.
Medical Volunteers- Medical volunteering is a fulfilling experience to help individuals in our local community. We offer outreach to a diverse set of individuals in our community, from elementary school children, to those in Salvation Army, Granville EMT department, individuals in nursing homes, hospitals, and in hospice care. Volunteering is also central to student’s applications in graduate programs in the healthcare field, whether that be medical school, PA school, PT school, veterinary, and nursing school. Thus, I would like to maximize and diversify our volunteering events and opportunities, so students gain multiple enriching experiences in volunteering, and later can reflect on their impact on our local community.
AED- This organization provides key insights into the healthcare field. We invite students (in medical school, PA, nursing, PT, Veterinary school), residents, and health care professionals to talk about their experiences in how they became involved in the healthcare field. We also will provide key insight on steps to prepare for entrance exams, such as the MCAT, from those who have taken the exam and have received competitive scores. Essentially, joining AED allows students to gain professional connections with healthcare students and those working in the healthcare field. These alumni panels are beneficial if they are interested in shadowing these individuals, which is key to students understanding if they want to pursue specific career paths in the healthcare field.
What are some events you have planned for this semester/year?
Pre-med Association- We have many events planned for this upcoming semester, such as a Q&A with Sara Stasko (pre-health advisor) on Thursday, October 27th from 11:30-12:30 in Burton Morgan 220. We are also planning MCAT study sessions, registration planning and help for the following semester, and a meeting with the medical volunteers President to explain future volunteer opportunities in the hospital setting for our members.
Medical Volunteers- For on campus events, we provide arts & crafts oriented events. This includes no-sew blanket making, as well as stuffed animals for hospice patients (in collaboration with Hospice of Central Ohio). In November, we will have a baking event and bake sale to fundraise a breakfast for the EMT at the Granville Fire Department. In our community, we will visit nursing homes for a holiday music concert and caroling, and elementary schools monthly to do hands-on wellness-themed events with the kids. We also offer volunteering at Licking Memorial Hospital, where students can apply at any point of the year to volunteer weekly ~ 4 hour shifts.
AED- We will plan to invite alumni that are currently in medical school to discuss their current experience as students, the tips of how to apply to medical school, their current challenges and successes, and tips in pursuing their career path. I am excited to announce we will have an event that OSU medical students will come to Denison Campus, one is a Denison Alumni, and share with AED members their experience as MS1 students. We are also looking into having a diverse healthcare professional panel virtually, where the health care professionals share their experiences as a medical professional. We will announce the details for events soon. In the spring, we will also host events with Sara Stasko providing details of how to approach one’s personal statements in medical school/health-care applications, and much more. Lastly, we hold an annual induction event in the Spring semester.
Interested in joining any or all of these groups? Here’s how:
Medical Volunteers WhatToDo
AED WhatToDO
Pre-Med Association Group Me QR Code:
