Howard University’s College of Medicine recently completed its inaugural Mini-Med School program at Harriet Tubman Elementary School, bringing the spirit and traditions of medical education to young students in the city. 

The program, created by College of Medicine faculty and students, offers young learners a hands-on introduction to health sciences, patient care, and anatomy, culminating in a celebratory “White Coat” ceremony. Each student received an intentionally oversized short coat, mirroring the medical school tradition that marks the beginning of clinical training.

The event drew strong support from the broader D.C. education community, with Lewis D. Ferebee, Ed.D., chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), attending to celebrate the partnership between Howard University and local schools.

“The future is bright — it’s shining like a diamond,” said Angel S. Byrd, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology and a key mentor in the program. “This is the pipeline in the making. By reaching our children at a younger age, we’re helping build the diverse representation we need in medicine and science.”

The program was led in part by Mark Burke, Ph.D., Professor of Physiology and Biostatistics, in collaboration with medical students including second-year medical student Akila Islam. It was inspired by previous after-school outreach efforts at local schools and expanded into a structured curriculum for elementary students, developed closely with Howard medical students and faculty. 

Students learned about a range of topics, including first aid, dental care, skin care, and anatomy. Islam emphasized that the program was a two-way learning experience. 

“As medical students, we often spend our first years buried in books,” she said. “Going into the community, we learned how to translate complex medical ideas so third, fourth, and fifth graders could understand. It’s a skill that will make us better doctors.”

Each participating elementary school student received a signed “Oath of Excellence” certificate from Andrea A. Hayes-Dixon, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine. She encouraged students to strive for academic excellence and community service.

“These students are building on what we taught them and bringing their own new layers of understanding,” Hayes Dixon said. “They are advancing far beyond what we expected, and that’s what will drive the future of medicine. If even one becomes a doctor, dentist, pharmacist or nurse, it would have been worth the effort.”

Fourth-grader Brenda Amaya, one of the participants, summed up the spirit of the program.

 “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. My sister told me I could be anything I want — and now I know I can.”

Medical students who served as leaders in the program were Madison Sheed, Caitlin Coyne, Anthony Okeh, and Banuja Munasinghe. 

Many students also served as medical student mentors, including: Sierra Lyles, Amari Eubanks, Ronald Argueta, Mohammed Sawi, Joy Montgomery, Neemah Koroma, Faiza Chowdhury, Manneha Qazi, Ali Ahmed, Nia Sweatt, Prince Alino, Chukwuma Odunze, Amber Courtland, Chase Rector, Shahnoza Dusmatova, Alexis Gay, Emma Kosowski, Josie Fazzino, Andriae Lacour, Chimezie Amaefuna, and Arsema Zadu.

Top photo: Logan Baker with Amari Eubanks, with first-year medical student. Photo credit: DCPS.

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