Wayne State University was one of the only schools that required students to complete service-learning hours, and that spoke volumes to me, because as someone whose core value is improving the lived experiences of others I knew engaging with the community would be a big aspect of my medical school experience, and I wanted to go somewhere that cared about that as much as I did.

Being a medical student at WSU fosters a professional environment of flexibility and autonomy. Along with my core academic studies, I’ve been able to be in a handful of executive leadership positions, accomplish hundreds of hours of community service and develop projects even during the pandemic.

The opportunity to be who you want to be and do what you want to do are what makes learning medicine at WSU unique. Students are provided with academic and professional support while also encouraged to engage with the Detroit community and seek out our own projects. Early in our training, we are encouraged to be hands on whether that’s volunteering in the free clinics or the emergency department to mentoring Detroit youth or volunteering in a community garden. Also, the student environment is collaborative, and we have access to an extensive and supportive alumni network in Detroit and around the country. 

As an underrepresented student, the professional networking and community engagement opportunities with those who look like you are unparalleled experiences, and receiving medical training in Detroit means you learn to take care of primarily Black and Brown communities. Additionally, the student environment here is collaborative, and we really do work to support each other along the way.

 

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