Why did you become involved in planning the Operation Med School conference?

“I first became involved in Operation Med School (OMS) in my freshman year through then senior Sofia Caruso, OMS’s former president, who spoke about the organization at Morning Meeting.  Having finished 12 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, I was enthusiastic about medicine as a means of helping others and exploring the sciences.  I also appreciated OMS’s mission to make the STEM field both interesting and accessible to the next generation.  In my sophomore year, I started as OMS’s Publicity Director, using my knowledge from the broadcast program to create eye-catching advertisements for our conferences.  I am excited to be the OMS President this year and lead my phenomenal team.”

How have you modified this year’s conference to account for COVID-19 regulations? 

“To keep our audience safe, we have transitioned this year’s conference to a virtual setting.  While we miss that energetic buzz in the room when we are all together, our speakers and workshop leaders will bring a contagious curiosity for medicine.  Instead of our typical one-day conference, we are spreading our five events over the course of a school week.  Each event is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the week of Monday, March 29 to Friday, April 2.  We have keynote speakers Dr. Alexandra Lewis (a Sacred Heart alumna) and Dr. Kisha Richards, a Q&A panel with medical school students, an emergency response workshop, and a triaging workshop. A virtual conference will be more accessible for students who live far away, so we are hoping to expand our Fairfield and Westchester County audiences.”

What do you hope that students will gain from the experience?

“At OMS, we strive to invigorate girls’ passion for science and medicine.  Thus, our conference is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the sciences.  Students will be able to hear from medical professionals, practice their skills, and network in the field.  By acquiring medical knowledge and having their questions answered by real doctors and medical school students, our audiences will gain both interest and confidence in their medical potential.  Overall, these experiences inform and encourage them to follow their medical career dreams.  I encourage anyone interested in our conference to register.”

The King Street Chronicle thanks senior Ceci Duncan ’21 for her contributions to “Humans of Sacred Heart.”