New Trier High School has no shortage of science clubs, but if you had been looking for a medical club, you’d be out of luck. New Trier used to have a club for students interested in learning more about medicine—however, Medical Explorers was discontinued this year following its sponsor’s retirement, and students struggled to find a new sponsor. 

Determined to find another extracurricular option for students who wanted to learn about medicine beyond classes such as Anatomy & Physiology and Biomechanics & Sports Medicine, sophomores Avni Arora and Sanjana Prabhu created Medical Outreach Club with the help of their sponsor, Health Services Coordinator Dr. Analia Elizalde. 

The club had their first meeting Monday Jan. 13 in room 104 at the Winnetka Campus. Despite their minimal advertisement, Medical Outreach had 10 attendees at their first meeting, but many other students have expressed interest and they’re anticipating more students in future meetings.

“I really wanted to create a club related to medicine, because I might do that in the future,” Arora says. “With this club, I can explore my options [within the healthcare field].”

The new club allows students to engage in hands-on learning experiences related to medicine, like CPR, first aid, and EpiPen training. Club members also hear from guest speakers.

Medical Outreach has also put a big emphasis on community service in the North Shore. The club plans to organize visits to senior living facilities to measure blood pressure, leading fun, introductory medical activities at elementary schools, and more. Although Medical Outreach Club has a greater focus on community service, students who enjoyed Medical Explorers last year are encouraged to join Medical Outreach Club due to its similar content and activities. 

Sophomore Zoya Boghani, a Medical Outreach Club member and former Medical Explorers Club member, says she enjoyed Medical Explorers because she got to hear a dermatologist speak about her career, practice suturing, and build kits for a women’s shelter. Boghani decided to join Medical Outreach as she hopes to pursue a career in medicine.

“I loved Medical Explorers, but there was a lot of lecturing there,” Boghani says. “I prefer the hands-on activities that Medical Outreach has to offer.”

As Medical Outreach prepares for a jam-packed semester, club leaders seek to maintain a relaxing, low-pressure environment. Arora and Prabhu want their club to be more accessible and not require as large of a time commitment as other academic clubs at New Trier.

“Medical Outreach Club is great if you’re looking for something more laid back and stress-free,” Prabhu says. “Overall, it’s a fun place for anyone to be, whether you’re into medicine or not.”

Arora and Prabhu said they hoped for the club to continue beyond their high school years. They hope to continue to help students learn more about careers in medicine. They never see themselves turning competitive, but they are content with helping the North Shore community and New Trier students. They also expressed confidence in Dr. Elizalde, who they say is qualified and enthusiastic about leading the club into the future.

“Our long-term goals are to get more people interested in the world of healthcare and for more people to be able to explore all the possibilities it offers,” Arora says. “We hope we are able to impact the New Trier community by teaching students great life or possibly survival skills.”

For anyone interested in joining Medical Outreach Club, you can request to join their Remind by texting “@ntmed” to 81010 or following them @ntmedoutreach on Instagram.