St. Petersburg Catholic high school medical class – 30 years and still growing strong.
In 1993 I recruited 70 physicians from a Catholic medical group to give daily lectures to a class of about 25 students at my alma mater. We cover almost all specialties and include ethics classes. The students also shadow the physicians and many have gone on to be doctors, dentist, nurses, therapists, and some have come back to give lectures themselves. I have had over 500 students shadow me individually in the office and hospital for the day. They experienced a day in the life of a family medicine physician, including the front office, answering phones, electrocardiogram, labs, immunizations, and blood pressures. They observe patients interactions in the office and more seriously ill patients in the hospital with patient permission. Most patients enjoy a young student learning and often will engage in conversation with them. I get to pay back to those who taught me by teaching a new generation.
