UF medical students inspire local high schoolers interested in healthcare
Students learned about healthcare professions and practiced clinical skills with professionals
During the inaugural UF Healthcare Teams of Tomorrow, medical students partnered with health professionals to expose careers in the medical field to Florida high school students and their families.
Photo by Annalise Minogue-Marcuson
May 1, 2026 — Cycling through stations, students demonstrated clinical skills — practicing splinting and intubating and learning how to use a stethoscope and ultrasound machine.
While these might be skills medical students practice for the first time during their studies, the students being led through health stations April 17 were high schoolers from across the state of Florida.
Eastside High School student Journia Ferguson practices using a drill on a bone. She hopes remain involved with the UF College of Medicine and pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology.
Photo by Annalise Minogue-Marcuson
The University of Florida College of Medicine hosted the inaugural UF Healthcare Teams of Tomorrow event on campus at the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building, attracting students and parents from as far as Jacksonville and Orlando. UF medical students collaborated with faculty to organize the event, aiming to educate and inspire the next generation of health professionals.
“It was an opportunity to show high school students the medical school building and the hospital,” said medical student Trevi Perez, one of the event organizers. “It gave them a chance to listen to doctors, physician assistants and nursing speakers who can spark an interest in a future career.”
During the event, parents also had the opportunity to join information sessions about financial aid and different roles in healthcare, from doctors to physician assistants to registered nurses. UF Health nurse Kelsey Banta, R.N., B.S.N., O.C.N., and Norman Beatty, M.D., FACP, a UF clinical associate professor in the division of infectious diseases and global medicine, participated in discussions with families.
“It is an honor to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals,” Beatty said.
Inspired by a similar event he started during his residency training, Beatty pitched the opportunity to host the event to the UF M.D. Class of 2029.
For medical student Victoria Anderson, outreach events like this are important to provide new opportunities for students.
“When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to do something in healthcare, but I didn’t have any friends or family members in the field, so I didn’t really know what the path looked like,” she said. “I wish I’d had guidance earlier on, so I knew all the career paths that were available.”
Gabriela Dugarte Cordero, a sophomore at NeoCity Academy in Kissimee, Florida, found her interest in plastic surgery from her own experience with a scar she has from an accident. “I want kids not to have those scars that they're going to be ashamed of when they grow up,” she said.
Photo by Annalise Minogue-Marcuson
Lofton High School students Lily Coolican and Johnovan Munford learned about the event from posters at their Alachua County school. Coolican, who wants to be a pediatric nurse, said the splinting and casting activities opened her up to the possibility of cross-training.
Munford’s favorite station was the ultrasound machine, where he was able to see the chambers and valves of the heart.
Attendee Gabriela Dugarte Cordero, a sophomore at NeoCity Academy in Kissimmee, Florida, found her interest in plastic surgery from her own experience with a scar she has from an accident.
“I want kids not to have those scars that they might be ashamed of when they grow up,” she said.
