At a recent meeting of the Women and Medicine Club, students watched intently while sophomores Mira Jishnu and Arielle Fan skillfully handled a needle and thread during a demonstration on how to suture.
In late spring, co-presidents Jishnu and Fan started the club after discovering their shared interest in medicine and their desire to teach students — specifically girls — valuable skills while empowering them to consider the field as a career. They also hope to explore diseases that more often affect women.
Although the school offers many biology- and medicine-related clubs, Jishnu recognized the lack of representation for women in the field of medicine, where less than 40% of physicians are women, according to the American Medical Association. Along with sophomores Audrey Lenh and Clarisse Yeung, who serve as vice president and secretary, respectively, the Women in Medicine club was born.
The team made their debut at Club Rush this year as an academic club focusing on biology. They have around 15 members and meet in Room 106 on Blue Mondays.
The club plans to offer presentations led by field experts so students can understand what their future careers may look like. During meetings, club members are also able to learn various medical techniques, such as suturing, or stitching wounds shut. Due to safety concerns, students aren’t allowed to handle needles themselves, but are able to observe as the officers perform demonstrations.
The club also offers presentations on topics such as breast cancer and so-called period poverty, the lack of resources available for menstruation. The club leaders say they draw their information from reliable medical sources and receive guidance from medical professionals.
Through interactive activities like Kahoots and volunteer opportunities, the club hopes to foster an engaging environment. Freshman Caroline Zhu joined the club because she hopes to pursue a career in medicine and appreciates the welcoming atmosphere of meetings.
“I think it is important to have a club like WIM (Women In Medicine) at our school because it empowers and encourages the younger generation of women who are interested in the medical field,” Zhu said.
For the first event of the year, the club invited Susan Farales-Nguyen, a nurse practitioner at Kaiser Permanente, as guest speaker for their Oct. 27 meeting. The meeting took the form of a panel discussion, where Nguyen was open to questions about her field and occupation.
“We want to help break barriers against gender discrimination and disorders or health issues that women predominantly have that are stigmatized,” Jishnu said.
