Centenary students participate in Summer Medical Scholars program at Willis Knighton
SHREVEPORT, LA — A group of Centenary College students, all aspiring medical professionals, recently formed the third cohort of the Summer Medical Scholars program, a collaboration between Centenary and Shreveport-Bossier City’s Willis Knighton Health launched in 2022. The program pairs Centenary pre-med students with Willis Knighton doctors for five weeks of job-shadowing and mentoring opportunities during the summer. Entrance into the program is competitive and is limited to students majoring in the sciences who have expressed a serious interest in medical school or allied health professions.
From May 24 through June 28, ten Centenary students completed shadowing rotations with Willis-Knighton doctors in fields such as internal medicine, pediatrics, cardiology, radiology, family medicine, and OT/PT. Students also had the opportunity to observe procedures and shadow doctors in the surgery/transplant clinic and both in-patient and out-patient rehab units.
“The Medical Scholars program is a real benefit to our students because it provides an invaluable experience, and it is an opportunity for students to have great exposure to enhance their knowledge and practical learning,” said Dr. Scott Chirhart, dean of health sciences at Centenary. “It can give one a realistic view of the healthcare system by experiencing the highs and lows of the daily life of physicians. As Willis Knighton is the largest healthcare provider in northwest Louisiana and been serving our area for 100 years, we could not ask for a better partner to teach and provide our students these experiences.”
“Willis Knighton is pleased to partner with Centenary to provide this experience in the practice of medicine for its students interested in a career in the medical field,” said Dr. Joseph Bocchini, director of Willis Knighton Children’s Health Services and chief academic officer for Willis Knighton’s Graduate Medical Education. “Many of the students have had no prior experience with medicine other than for their own care and that of their families. The students learn the key attributes required for physicians to diagnose and treat their patients successfully by following physicians in their offices and in the operating rooms as they care for their patients. They also learn how our physicians, nurses, physical therapists and laboratory personnel work together to provide the coordinated care necessary to improve patient outcomes.”
Bossier City native Jayden Nguyen, a graduate of Airline High School and a rising junior at Centenary, is a biology and neuroscience major who plans to attend medical school and become a radiologist.
“I participated in the Medical Scholars Program in order to gain a better understanding about other specialties within the healthcare system,” said Nguyen. “For a while now, I have had my mind set on becoming a radiologist, but I wanted to make sure that I was able to observe other specialties in order to gain a broader scope of the medical field and see how each play a role in patient care. I learned so much from the doctors at Willis Knighton, most importantly doctor-patient interaction. Many doctors at Willis Knighton have close relations with their patients and therefore gain a better understanding of the situation at hand, which I highly value.”
The Medical Scholars program experience has solidified Nguyen’s goal to pursue radiology, but it also provided a broader look at the medical field as a whole.
“Taking part of this program has helped me be able to view the medical world in a different perspective,” said Nguyen. “It allowed me to see different points of view between the doctors, surgeons, techs, physician’s assistants, and nurses, and to see how each person plays a large role in patient care every day. I believe that this program has leaned me into the right direction for my future in pursuing a career in radiology.”
Tarif Islam is a native of Shreveport and a graduate of Caddo Magnet High School majoring in biology and neuroscience with minors in chemistry and psychology. The Medical Scholars program helped solidify his goals to attend medical school as well as introduced him to a variety of different paths for making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.
“Not only did participating in this program make me a more competitive applicant for medical school, it also reassured me that medicine was a career I wanted to pursue,” said Islam. “A physician’s specialty can affect the patients they meet, the diseases they treat, and their overall lifestyle. I applied to this program in hopes of exploring these differences between specialties through the program’s very organized rotations that allowed us to shadow different types of doctors in a variety of settings including the hospital, the emergency room, and community clinics.”
Centenary gymnast Olivia Strattman, a kinesiology major from Houston, Texas, has a packed schedule during the academic year as she balances her sport and coursework. Participating in the Summer Medical Scholars program gave her an opportunity to focus solely on her rotations and immerse herself in a learning experience tailored to her goal of becoming a physician’s assistant.
“Through these rotations, I realized I loved the operating room experience,” said Strattman. “Watching a robotic gallbladder removal, performed using the da Vinci surgical system, was an experience I would love to be part of day after day. The relationship between the surgeon, PA, and medical assistant was very team oriented and allowed me to further realize that all members in the OR play a pivotal role in the patient's procedure.”
About Willis Knighton
Willis Knighton Health System is a not-for-profit community healthcare organization headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. It includes four acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation institute, a senior living residential community, as well as medical clinics, outpatient services and wellness centers throughout the Shreveport/Bossier City metropolitan area. With more than 7,200 employees, it is the region’s largest nongovernmental employer. Through its unique tithe the bottom line philanthropy, the health organization donates a minimum of 10% of its profits annually to support community and humanitarian projects.