With a goal of promoting interest in higher education and encourage underserved and underrepresented elementary school students to pursue careers in medicine, the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Pediatric Interest Group hosted its first community outreach event with Highland Elementary School in Riverside.

The event, called the Pediatric Interest Group Mini Medical School, not to be confused with the School of Medicine’s Mini Medical School Pathway Program, was held via Zoom on April 6, 2023. It was led by co-community outreach chairs Nadine Del Rosario, MS2, and Vivian Oropeza, MS2, alongside co-chairs Michelle Lin, MS2, and Simrina Desar, MS2.

“We aim to have this event yearly and hope it can be in-person next year,” Del Rosario said.

About 200 third and fourth graders from the school participated in the program in the school while the UCR SOM students called in via Zoom. The Highland students received white coats, stethoscopes, and a cardiology book for kids written by Betty Nguyen, MS4. They learned about attending medical school, took the Hippocratic Oath, how to wash their hands and apply sunscreen, and the importance of balanced meals, as well as how to listen to their hearts and be advocates for their health.

The project received a $1,500 MedStudentsServe grant and a $1,000 grant from Highland Elementary School. The initiative aims to cultivate the next generation of diverse physicians who can address the physician shortage in the Inland Empire.

Organizations interested in having an event at their school can contact Nadine Del Rosario at nadine.delrosario@medsch.ucr.edu.