Wilmette Student Selected For Northwestern Medicine Summer Program

Healthcare has always been a part of Katia Chiampas’ world since she was born. Her father, George T Chiampas, DO, an emergency medicine physician who serves as the director of the Disaster Management and Community Emergency Preparedness Initiative at Northwestern Medicine, and her mother, Lori Chiampas PharmD, is the Medication Safety Coordinator at Lurie Childrens Hospital, have had long careers in medicine.

So it comes as no surprise that Chiampas of Wilmette, a rising junior and a captain of the Women's Soccer Team at Johns Hopkins University majoring in public health, was hoping to expand her medical knowledge and applied to the Northwestern Medicine Pre-Med Summer Intern Program, where students receive direct work experience with leading physicians at Northwestern Medicine.

Chiampas was accepted to the program, and was mentored by Micah Eimer, MD, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.

Each student receives their assigned clinical department where they work with and report to both a physician lead as well as a program administrator. Then, once a week, they rotate to observe a different specialty. In addition to the direct work experience the students receive, the program also provides a weekly lecture series with topics including:

· Navigating Medical School Admissions

· Diversity in Healthcare

· Physician Wellness

· Women in Medicine

· Journey in Medicine

· Clinic of the Future

“As a pre-med student, it can be hard to get hands on experience, so this internship has been so motivating and has reaffirmed my passion to pursue a career in medicine,” said Chiampas. “I also had the opportunity to work with all of the providers at each rotation, not just the physicians, so I learned how the roles of physician assistants, medical techs and nurses work together to provide a high level of patient care. It was inspiring to see how cohesive the full team is and how well they work together.”

To date, 194 pre-med students have completed the program, with many now in medical school. The current class has 49 students, who have the opportunity to shadow and learn from more than 45 leading physicians at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, in the northern suburbs at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital and the Northwestern Medicine Outpatient Centers in Glenview and Gurnee; Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital in Palos Heights and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.

Student academics and a commitment to community service were considerations during the acceptance process, as well as ensuring the class would include a mix of students from different backgrounds, locations and life experiences, welcoming students from 31 schools across the country.

For more information, please go to: https://www.nm.org/for-medical-professionals/i-am-a-student/northwestern-medicine-pre-med-internship-program.