(March 28, 2011-Jupiter, FL) Life at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University is not just about coursework and studying.  It is also about developing leadership skills, making a positive impact on society, and broadening one’s interests so as to enrich each student’s life and future career.  A group of students at the Wilkes Honors College has worked hard to create opportunities for students to experience the environment of medical school firsthand while still undergraduates. The Wilkes Honors College Pre-Medical Society was founded as a student organization in 2004, and has continued to be an active force on campus and in the community. The organization is dedicated to fostering scientific creativity among its members by enhancing their understanding of the medical field and providing medical service opportunities in the community.

           Imarhia Enogieru is about to complete her second year of classes at the Honors College, and currently serves as the president of the Pre-Medical Society. Her experiences with the club have greatly enhanced her program at the Honors College. She states, “Being a part of the pre-medical society took a little bit of the anxiety away from being a freshman in college. We have created a tight network of friends and we have all bonded over our love of biology and chemistry.”

           Enogieru is concentrating in biological chemistry and is also pursuing a minor in psychology. The club has allowed her to experience aspects of the medical field that directly relate to her plans for the future. The Pre-Medical Society holds monthly meetings where members are able to watch actual surgical procedures that have been performed by surgical teams across the nation, including an awake craniotomy and a coronary artery bypass surgery. Club members have also traveled to the FAU medical simulation center, where they were able to respond to situations similar to those encountered by physicians and to perform medical procedures on a life-like simulation dummy. The club not only helps to prepare students for their medical school experiences, however. The Pre-Medical Society also works to prepare students for their entrance into medical school by exposing them to application procedures and techniques. The club recently hosted a discussion regarding the “Dos and Don’ts of the Medical School Admissions” with a representative from the KAPLAN test preparation organization. Enogieru hopes that these programs will help relieve some of the stress related to applying to medical school. The organization also places an emphasis on the importance of service. Members have worked to raise funds for American Heart Association, and this winter several members will be traveling to Panama to participate in a medical mission effort through the Global Medical Training organization. Enogieru looks forward to the trip, and sees it as an opportunity to learn while engaging fully in a service activity. “We are excited to attend such a trip and learn about tropical medicine and village triage while helping natives get the medical care they need.”

           Enogieru says that the success of the Honors College’s pre-medical program is due to the help of several members of the faculty. Dr. Paul Kirchman, Dr. Nicholas Quintyne, and Assistant Director of the Biology Lab April Schimmel have all been instrumental in supporting the club and providing ideas for future activities. Enogieru also wishes to thank the students who form the club’s executive board, and who have put hours of work into making the club a success. She hopes that the Pre-Medical Society will have an even stronger presence at the university in the upcoming academic year, and looks forward to new activities that the club is planning for the future. The Pre-Medical Society is open to all honors students with an interest in the sciences and a standing GPA of 3.0 or higher, and Enogieru hopes that incoming students will consider choosing to participate in the club during their time at the Honors College.

           For Enogieru, the members of the club have provided her with a vital support system. She remarks, “It is nice to have students who understand your struggles and are open to helping each other out when we need it.” Enogieru plans to graduate from the Honors College in 2013, and is grateful for the experiences she has been able to enjoy through participation in the Pre-Medical Society. She states, “I know when I look back on my experiences at the Honors College, many of favorite memories will be of the experiences I had being a part of this club.”

byline: WHC Student Intern Megan Geiger