Future Doctors of America, a club started in 2011 by former teacher Jonathan Kim, is a group focused around the exposure of students to different careers in the medical field, besides your typical doctor and nurse. With 25 students, FDA is led by Upper School Science Teacher Amy Lumley, who is proud to help students interested in the medical sciences. Through the program Mrs. Lumley hopes to empower students to use their God-given talents and gifts to be selfless in the service of others.
When asked about the benefits of FDA, Senior Riley Waddell said, “It really provides a space for us to grow a biblical worldview, and Mrs. Lumley even gives us opportunities to shadow and intern in fields we’re interested in.” Shadowing and internships are a rare find in the current day, especially with COVID-19 and the lack of opportunities for high school students, and through FDA, students can get hands-on experience.
When asked about how FDA benefits their highschool experience, Junior Brooklyn Brothers said “Talking to people who are in the medical field and truly getting a realistic perspective. We did a zoom call once with two graduates who were in Mrs. Lumley’s class, and one talked about how much AP Bio helped them in college.” Getting to understand how college really is relative to what you learn in high school is something that not many people think about, but feeling prepared for college, knowing that what you are learning is truly applicable, is reassuring.
“FDA also has helped students narrow down their options and really get into specifics,” Mrs. Lumley says. SImilarly, Senior Meredith Wilson says, “ It helps you figure out what you really want to be in the medical field. For example, I originally wanted to be a nurse, but after talking to some people, I found out that it wasn’t for me. A lot of people have swapped what they wanted to do, like someone swapped from neurology to emergency surgery.”
All in all, FDA is a great way for students to take control of their future and help establish a strong biblical worldview relative to the modern trends.
