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Future Medical Professionals Club aims to make healthcare professions accessible to students

Two students from Niwot High School founded the club
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Future Medical Professionals Club attended a panel at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital

Sarada Gundavarapu and Micky Nguyen, juniors at Niwot High School, began brainstorming ideas for a club that allowed students to explore the healthcare field in the summer of 2022. 

Finding help and information regarding the healthcare industry is difficult, Gundavarapu said, and the two students wanted to make the daunting field more accessible.

“People are less inclined to join healthcare because it’s so difficult … but so many people are needed,” Nguyen said. 

At first, the idea seemed out of reach but confirmation from the superintendent gave Gundavarapu and Nguyen the confidence to establish the Future Medical Professionals Club. It is a district-wide club that aims to share resources with students to explore different healthcare professions and get real-life experience. 

“We just wanted to provide resources to as many people as we could that wanted to go into this field because we just felt like it was so rigorous and we wanted to help relieve that process,” Gundavarapu said. 

St. Vrain Valley School District holds a partnership with UCHealth and the Future Medical Professionals have gained access to staff members and the facility to continue their exploration of healthcare. The club’s most recent event was held at UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital.

A panel including a pediatrician, radiologist, nurse, emergency nurse and special therapist answered students’ questions about the ins and outs of healthcare. They emphasized the importance of exploring their passions, being lifelong learners and the crucial role of communication in healthcare.

“If we lack in communication, we can’t get our job done,” said Associate Nurse Manager Kaitlyn Fast. 

In addition to the panel, the Future Medical Professionals toured the hospital and learned about the technological advances altering the healthcare system. 

“Touring the hospital … I fell in love. It left a huge impression on me and I hope it did for the other people,” Nguyen said. 

The club aims to attend and host more events in the future.

“We just want this club to keep moving on because we don’t want these resources to go to waste and we just want to inspire,” Gundavarapu said. 

“We are hoping to be able to pass on the torch to the next generation of high schoolers that can lead each other into the field,” Nguyen said.