A Taste of the Medical Field: Meredith Walker ’14

Senior biology major Meredith Walker got a taste of the medical field thanks to the Greenville Hospital System’s MedEx Academy internship during the summers of 2012 and 2013. MedEx Academy helps shape the future healthcare workforce through integrated learning experiences that connect high school and college students with clinicians and academics across the system. Meredith was able to experience health care as a learner, patient, employee and volunteer.

Meredith’s research project in the IVF lab was published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

In the summer of 2012, Meredith participated in MCAT review sessions with Kaplan instructors, logged over fifty hours of shadowing various physicians, and completed a research project from start to finish in the IVF lab at the Greenville Memorial Hospital. Shadowing allowed her to experience pediatrics, orthopedics, general surgery, OBGYN, autopsy, primary care, pathology, and NICU. Her research project in the IVF lab was published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. following summer,

Meredith returned to MedEx academy, where, in addition to more Kaplan classes and shadowing hours, she took Anatomy and Physiology classes taught by medical school professors and students, and volunteered at various locations providing Bibliotherapy.

“MedEx Academy was such an awesome experience for me! It provided me with a real insight to what the medical field is truly like. it definitely allowed me to confirm my future plans as wanting to be a part of the healthcare system. It also allowed me to connect with new people and professionals. The staff and everyone associated with the program are the nicest people you will ever meet and will help you with anything, even after you leave the program.”