Founders of IDEAS in Medicine Receive Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service
Established in 1999 by then-President John DiBiaggio, each year the Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service recognizes undergraduate and graduate students from across Tufts University for outstanding achievement in community service and community leadership. Students are nominated for the award by faculty and administrative leaders.
This year’s recipients include two medical students, Jonathan Brower and Michael Kwak, both M13s. In 2010, Brower and Kwak founded IDEAS in Medicine- a year-long tutoring and mentoring partnership between medical students and students from the Eugene Wright Science and Technology Academy, a middle school in Chelsea. Working primarily with biology teachers, the pair developed lessons that integrated medical concepts into the existing curriculum and incorporated issues relevant to the middle school students. The program culminates with a day-long symposium at TUSM’s Boston campus in the spring.
On April 1st, IDEAS in Medicine wrapped up its third year. 130 middle school students and 15 teachers joined 30 medical students at TUSM’s Boston campus for workshops that included practicing sutures, a healthy eating demonstration, and making teeth impressions.
The program will begin again next fall with a new crop of curious seventh graders. Read more about IDEAS in Medicine here.