I NTO M E N TOR I NG
W
ith the rigors of medical school—courses and exams to take; human anatomy to master; physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and all the other ‘ologies’ to learn; clinical rotations to do—training to be a physician is intense. As if all that wasn’t enough, a group of NJMS students have taken on an additional role, finding a unique way to mentor and inspire Newark teenagers with an interest in science. Last spring the NJMS students launched a project called Knotted, which aims to teach high school students the basics of suturing, while increasing their awareness of careers in health care. Student Aman Patel came up with the idea “as a way to engage young people. We thought that participating in a hands-on activity such as suturing might encourage the students to pursue careers in science and medicine.” In addition to Patel, Knotted co-founders include Hassaam Choudhry, Daniel Garcia, Mark Korst, Akash Patel, Philip Reinhardt, and Usman Toor. Suturing is a basic skill that must be mastered by all medical students. Tying these tiny knots is not as simple as it may seem. Google “suturing techniques,” and you’ll bring up a myriad of instructional websites, suture training kits for sale, and suturing videos on YouTube. Newark’s Science Park High School seemed like a good fit for the goals of Knotted. Under the guidance of Knotted faculty mentor Jean A. Eloy, MD’02, Distinguished Professor and clinical vice chair, otolaryngology, Patel reached out to Science Park administrators to propose the workshops. They liked the idea, and the workshops launched in the fall. Armed with suturing pads, tweezers, scissors, needle drivers, and other materials, volunteers led 15 workshops for 300 students. Workshops began with a Q & A on the journey to becoming a physician, followed by suturing lessons. Seeing how much the high school students enjoyed the workshops was very gratifying, say the volunteers. Knotted is sponsored by NJMS’s Pozen Scholars Program, created in 2009 with the goal of generating meaningful community activities. The Knotted volunteers plan to offer more suturing workshops during the upcoming academic year. — Mary Ann Littell
Follow Knotted on Instagram: @njmsknotted