Dr. Onaje Artist (CA-1) and Dr. Linda Nguyen (clinical faculty) represented the University of Utah Department of Anesthesiology at the 2nd annual Medicine Immersion Day for Black and UCRM high school and college students on Saturday, September 16th. This event, hosted by the Black Physicians of Utah, intended to inspire excitement for aspiring students looking into careers as physicians and to expose these students to different sub-specialties such as pediatrics, neurosurgery, ENT surgery, internal medicine, and anesthesiology. The day started off with a keynote speaker remarking on the history of notable Black physicians that have paved the way for current medical professionals of color. This was followed by a panel of Black physicians at various stages in their career, including Dr. Artist, that talked about the importance of diverse representation and cultural competence in healthcare.
Students interested in surgery and anesthesia were taken to the operating rooms for a demonstration of a tracheostomy kit with Dr. Drejet (ENT), a presentation of a hand injury case caused by fireworks by Dr. Teixera (plastic surgery), and an airway simulation of bag mask ventilation and endotracheal intubation by Drs. Nguyen and Artist. The students got hands-on experience at other various stations performing such tasks as drilling “burr holes” in eggs, suturing simulated skin, placing face plates, and more. The students had opportunities to ask questions and seek shadowing opportunities and mentorship. The event also provided a job fair for students to obtain clinical experience and medical positions that also offered tuition benefits.
There was visible excitement from the students as they experienced aspects of medical techniques and physician perspectives on a career in patient care. Overall, the feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive. Numerous studies have shown that a more diverse representation of healthcare providers can improve the patient experience and their outcomes. It is encouraging to support these future physicians in their career endeavors and the department of anesthesiology, among other departments from the University of Utah, is thrilled to engage in these outreach initiatives.
