In January 2019, Pre-Health Young at Heart was recognized as an official organization at Florida International University. Young at Heart was inspired by a passion for the humanities aspect of medicine, a love for the elderly community, and a personal motive, as I intended to honor my own grandparents. As president to this organization, I learned important lessons in the delegation of tasks to promote teamwork, public speaking to spread awareness of our organization and the prevalence of age-related diseases, professional conferences with community members and FIU staff, as well as insight to my own role as a community member and a member of the university student body. 

 

Inspiration for Young at Heart came after pondering my role in the community and questioning myself in terms of what more I could offer. The geriatric community, in particular, is an underrepresented community of medicine because many health professionals can be discouraged with a type of healthcare that is often not centered on healing or curing their patient. Instead, working with the geriatric community requires a different set of expectations rooted in patience, empathy, and understanding. The idea that Young at Heart will stand at FIU, long after I have graduated, makes me feel as though my undergraduate experience has been an impactful one. Young at Heart has become more than just an extracurricular leadership activity. Instead, it has formed a significant part of my life and will remain as one of my greatest accomplishments. My role in Young at Heart is a reflection of the close familial relationship I had with my own grandparents, whom I cared for in their old age and later lost to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. At the end of their life, the most important thing I gave them was my time and compassion. This is what I hoped to teach other pre-health students, through their role as a member of Young at Heart. A lesson that shows: Sometimes the simplest act, such as spending a Saturday morning doing a pottery class with an elderly friend, can be of the most meaningful of experiences.