Biomedical Science Students Visit Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College 

An impressive medical trio welcomed SCH biomedical science students onto Jefferson's medical campus as their first official BioMed activity. Hosts included Dr. Stanton Miller '73, executive director of Jefferson’s Injury Research and Prevention Center, Dr. Ronald Hall, professor of Emergency Medicine and assistant dean for Diversity Programs, and fourth-year medical student Hannah Clarke '17. The five members of SCH’s first BioMed cohort were joined by sophomores—and biomed enthusiasts—Clare Murphey and Izzy Dupree. 

Their tour opened with an intimate Q&A session in the dean’s office, which was lined with shelves of old medical texts. Students were particularly interested in hearing about each medical professional’s journey—what first sparked their scientific curiosity, what caused them to pursue a career in medicine, and what hiccups they encountered along the way.

“Despite diverse interests, each student took away something important from this conversation,” said BioMed@SCH program coordinator Lisa Queeno. “I think the biggest lesson learned was that there are endless avenues in which to pursue biomedical science—there are careers beyond clinical medicine: research, policy, public health, science communication, engineering, etc. Connecting with experienced professionals helps students find careers that let them marry their interests.”

The student group also got a behind-the-scenes tour of Jefferson’s medical classroom spaces. They visited the lecture hall, group discussion rooms, simulation spaces, the library, practice exam rooms, and an ultrasound suite. Highlights included SCH students taking the pulse of an operating room manikin (yes, medical mannequins are called manikins!), watching a pulmonologist-in-training complete a bronchoscopy, and meeting many medical students. 

“I am so grateful that Drs. Miller and Hall, as well as Hannah, are eager to mentor and collaborate with our Biomed students,” says Queeno. “What an exciting way to kick off the program!”