Last May 4, 2024, the UP Pre-Medical Honor Society (UP PMHS) hosted its 8th annual Youth Medical Discoveries (YouthMD), enlightening high school students from Grades 7-12 nationwide about the diverse array of traditional and non-traditional pre-medicine programs available to them at the Institute of Biology Auditorium, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman.
Themed “Interstellar,” the summit featured a series of engaging panel lectures and interactive workshops, providing valuable insights into the world of medicine to 280 onsite and 55 online attendees from different high school institutions in the country.
Esteemed and reputable medical students from different programs and universities shared their experiences, guiding high school students on potential paths to pursue their passion for medicine.
One of the highlights of the event was the keynote address by Dr. Lourdes Sumpaico-Tanchanco, MD, MSc, FPPS, FPSDBP, director of the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation, who shared her insights and discussed the importance of a work-life balance through ikigai.
Dr. Tanchanco emphasized the concept of discernment—to find your reason for being in choosing a pre-medical course and to keep doing what you love, while balancing both work and life.
As the summit concluded, participants expressed their gratitude for the valuable insights gained and the inspiration received to pursue their dreams in the field of medicine. With the success of this year’s event, organizers are already planning for an even more impactful summit next year, aiming to reach an even wider audience of aspiring healthcare professionals.
“From the event, I learned the importance of having passion and purpose first before you go into the medical field as it’s not easy to continue without a purpose. I learned that even if it’s hard, your purpose and passion regarding the field is really the thing that will propel you forward.” said a participant for YouthMD 2024.
While participants found the event enlightening, organizers were equally pleased with the engagement and enthusiasm of the attendees.
“The feedback from the participants has been overwhelming, and it reaffirms our commitment to providing a platform that empowers the next generation of healthcare professionals.” said Jose Rafael Palomares, overall co-head of the summit.
Jana Ariana Malaya, overall co-head of the summit also mentioned that “As this our first time holding YouthMD in a face-to-face setting since the pandemic, we had truly gained so many new insights on organizing the event and are excited to use them to execute an even better YouthMD for our participants next year.”
“There is no best pre-med course, but rather only the pre-med course that best fits you.” said Samantha Bastes, overall co-head of the event, in her closing remarks.
For more information about Youth Medical Discoveries and future events, visit UP Pre-Medical Honor Society
Written by: Jose Rafael Palomares
This event was made possible by UP Pre-Medical Honor Society