Dissecting cow eyeballs, listening to baby heartbeats and envisioning their futures — that’s how a group of middle and high school students spent Friday at the U.

The event, called Medicine U, aimed to expose young students to the medical field and college experience. The V(i)llage, a program at the U, helped plan and sponsor the day filled with immersive activities.

The V(i)llage, founded by Nedra and Bryan Hotchkins in 2014, works locally with seven middle schools and three high schools to promote a college pathway for self-identifying African-American students. The group meets with the same students 16 times from September to April each year, giving them unique, interactive experiences that seek to challenge them and show them what their college and academic careers could be like.

During Medicine U, college student ambassadors who are members of the V(i)llage led the kids throughout various simulation labs, activities and experiences in different medical departments. The volunteers also self-identify themselves as African-American.

Eliot Sykes, a second-year Ph.D. student in education, culture and society, was one of these volunteers. He said he saw real impacts on the young students who attended. Sykes took students to the College of Nursing and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he said students were initially asked how many were interested in nursing.

“Only one hand was raised that first time,” Sykes said. But at the end of the day when they were asked again, he said, “at least five hands shot up.”

Sykes, as well as Barbara Kufiadan, an undeclared pre-med freshman who also volunteered at the event, stressed the importance of providing a sense of community for these minority students.

“It can feel very isolating in Utah, as an African-American,” Sykes said.

The attendees interacted with African-American college students, as well as faculty, staff and administration at the U.

“They were introduced to a lot of people who are great resources,” Kufiadan said.

Keynote speaker Elicia Williams-King, a professor of general internal medicine, addressed participants about her own journey through her academic career.

Bryan Hotchkins, professor of ethnic studies and co-founder of the V(i)llage, said the point of the program, and events like Medicine U, is to help steer African-American middle and high school kids towards college. Hotchkins wants these students to be able to think long-term and said Medicine U is part of a process of involvement and engagement, showing these kids an option for their success.

“I tell the students, ‘When you look at me, see yourselves in the future, because when I look at you I see me in the past,’ ” Hotchkins said.

Nedra Hotchkins, U women’s education specialist and the V(i)llage co-founder, said Medicine U is an important immersion experience, especially for female African-American students, who are often underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

“It’s really about a hands-on, interactive experience to get these students interested,” Nedra Hotchkins said.

n.venugopal@dailyutahchronicle.com

@NikiVenugopal

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