UA club aims to unite medical profession

Jennifer Holmes Arizona Daily Wildcat Lois Loescher, a research nurse at the Arizona Cancer Center, talks Wednesday to members of Health Care Futures about emerging careers in medicine that involve genetics. Health Care Futures is a new campus organization that allows students to explore different jobs in the field.

From September 1996 until the following year, Graver went to intensive rehabilitation three times a week and saw more than 30 doctors.

Although he was raised by a hospital administrator and worked for University Medical Center as a high school student, Graver gained a new perspective of the health-care industry when he saw it through the eyes of a patient.

"Just going through the whole experience as a patient really influenced me," said Graver, a health administration sophomore. "I saw too many problems in health care. I wanted to fix health care."

He resolved to help increase communication between all divisions of the health-care system and unite the different medical fields by creating Health Care Futures, a new UA club for students in fields relating to medicine.

Graver, who hopes to become a hospital administrator, organized the club in August after realizing the UA didn't have a place where all students of the medical profession could combine under one umbrella.

"There really should be a means for all these students to come together and learn about health care. It all has to fit together," he said. "Unfortunately, I see everything is separate - doctors are over here, nurses are over here."

The 100-member club helps University of Arizona students interested in the medical field develop a broader range of health-care knowledge, he said. It aims to find jobs for its members, recruit volunteers for health-care organ-izations in the community and find opportunities for on-the-job experience.

The club features speakers at every meeting to inform students about different health-care opportunities and innovations, such as genetics and graduate school.

Volunteer work is another function of the club. Six members work with the Arizona Cancer Center, and another six with Arizona's Smoking Cessation Intervention Program.

Volunteer work provides real-world experience and new contacts to the club members, Graver said.

The club has also found jobs for three members with UMC. Graver said the Arizona Health Sciences Center has supported Health Care Futures from its inception, providing advising and numerous medical-related jobs and volunteer opportunities.

Less than 10 percent of the UA's "pre-medical" students are actually accepted into medical school, leaving many to find other uses for their degrees.

The club offers members exposure to fields that do not necessarily require medical school, said Eric Proctor, the University Medical Center surgery department administrator and adviser for Health Care Futures.

Proctor said he is particularly impressed because the club encourages students from many disciplines to interact and learn from each other.

Bethany Winkler, the club's vice president of operations, said she hopes the organization will expand and eventually spread to other universities.

"This is the only club where you can sit down and have lunch with the person you aspire to be like," said Winkler, a physiological sciences senior.

Sara Ehteshami, a biochemistry junior and the club's vice president of administration, said it gives members an opportunity to get hands-on experience by matching them up with mentors in the health-care profession.

Health Care Futures members plan to begin next semester by introducing Jay Smith, dean of the College of Medicine, to the club.

The group also plans to participate in the UMC Friends fund-raising program and volunteer for the Commitment to Underserved People program, a clinic run by volunteer doctors, nurses and medical students.

The club plans to include more social activities for its members and maintain a steady push throughout the semester for greater membership.

Jesus Lopez Jr. can be reached via e-mail at Jesus.Lopez.Jr@wildcat.arizona.edu.