Is Anyone Here a Doctor? Harvard MEDscience Comes to the Museum of Science
โOur patientโs blood pressure is dropping rapidly! Letโs get her an IV!โย
โQuick! We need to apply a tourniquet immediately to stop the bleeding!โย
โAlright, time for mom to push!โ
Although these snippets of conversation sound like they might come from Greyโs Anatomy, they can be heard right inside the Museum of Science (MOS). The Museum recently entered a partnership with Harvard Medical School’s MEDscience program for the 2025-2026 school year. MEDscience provides local high school students with the opportunity to play the role of doctor once a week, to help solve medical cases in emergency room simulations. Students engage with their โpatient,โ a high-tech mannequin that breathes, blinks, and even talks, while learning everything from how to read an X-ray to how to administer CPR to save a patientโs life.ย
MEDscience not only inspires studentsโ future plans, it also allows them to bring medical knowledge back to their communities and families every week, helping to knock down barriers to medical accessibility.
Each week, students are presented with a case focusing on a particular body system and tasked with collaborating to successfully diagnose and treat their patients. In addition to these cases, students also have the opportunity to learn a number of medical skills ranging from administering IVs to performing intubations. The Museum of Science welcomed its first four cohorts of students at the beginning of October. MOS now acts as a satellite location for MEDscience, increasing the accessibility of this program for students whose schools are located closer to the Cambridge area, where the Museum is located.
I am lucky enough to be one of four Museum educators learning how to teach students in simulations and skill clinics. In August and September, I journeyed once a week to Harvard Medical School to shadow teachers as they led students through a multitude of cases and skills. I spent days training with staff on how to both interpret medical tests as well as how to implement the MEDscience pedagogy when teaching students. It was fascinating to learn how to read ultrasounds and CT scans, as well as to take a deep dive into the anatomy of various body systems. My MEDscience x MOS colleagues joke that we are basically doctors now. As we watch medical dramas like The Pitt, we find ourselves correctly diagnosing patients and shouting out treatment plans to the TV doctors, all thanks to our MEDscience training.
It is incredibly rewarding to be a part of the MEDscience team. My favorite aspect of this program has been the opportunity to work directly with students. It is amazing to see the studentsโ eyes light up as they โsolveโ cases and correctly diagnose and treat their patients. The mission of MEDscience is โto inspire and empower a rising generation of STEM leaders.โ This program teaches students that their voices matter and that by collaborating with others, they can make a positive difference.ย
Although many students enter their first session nervous and unsure of their abilities, MEDscience educators always remind them that they have 14, 15, or 16 yearsโ worth of medical experiences to draw on: from their own life, the lives of others, and the medical media they have consumed. It is amazing to see the amount of confidence instilled in students who participate in the program. Even after their first session, I have heard students whispering, โOooohโฆ doesnโt Dr. [their last name] sound good?โ MEDscience not only inspires studentsโ future plans, it also allows them to bring medical knowledge back to their communities and families every week, helping to knock down barriers to medical accessibility.
When applying for the FAO Schwarz Fellowship, I had no idea that I would be joining the MEDscience team. Now, it has become one of my favorite aspects of my role at the Museum of Science. While starting a new job can be challenging because of the unknowns that come with it, Iโve learned that embracing the unknown leads to unexpected and incredible experiences!
Delaney Kenney
Delaney (she/her) is the FAO Schwarz Fellow the Museum of Science in Boston.
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