Eighty-two high school students participated in the weeklong Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Summer Program hosted by the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) in July. Since 2013, the program has offered hands-on learning for students in grades 10–12 across the state who are interested in healthcare careers.
…thinking like a doctor now will help build me up as a doctor in the future
—Mabea De Guzman, Maui HS senior
Mary Joy “MJ” Velasquez, an incoming junior at Lahainaluna High School, hopes her summer at JABSOM will prepare her for medical school and becoming a physician in her hometown. Growing up, she often flew to Oʻahu for medical care not available on Maui. The 2023 Hawaiʻi Physician Workforce Report highlights a 43% shortage of specialty physicians on Maui, inspiring Velasquez to become an MD specialist to help fill this gap.
Mabea De Guzman, an incoming senior at Maui High School, also participated in the program. She enjoys problem-based learning (PBL), a student-centered approach to solving clinical cases through group discussion, investigation and research, widely used in U.S. medical schools.
“I feel like that would eventually help me out in the future because thinking like a doctor now will help build me up as a doctor in the future, and I’ll get into that mindset quickly,” said De Guzman, who hopes to become the first in her family to attend a U.S. college and aims to be a cardiothoracic surgeon.
In addition to PBL, students spend time in the Anatomy Lab, interact with manikins in the SimTiki Simulation Center, and learn to interview and counsel patients through mock encounters in the Clinical Skills Lab. They gain skills in suturing, splinting, CPR, and more—experiences usually exclusive to medical students and physicians.
Neighbor island scholars program
Both Velasquez and De Guzman are part of the Neighbor Island Medical Scholars Program, which covers their participation, flights, and room and board for the week. This program, supported by generous donors, helps address the critical physician shortage on neighbor islands by exposing high school students to healthcare and providing resources to overcome barriers to a medical career.
Medical student Ryan Shontell from Kohala on Hawaiʻi
Island, mentors the high school students, wanting to give back to rural, neighbor-island students. Shontell shares his non-traditional path to medicine, encouraging the students to pursue unique journeys in healthcare.
“I want to make sure these kids understand that they can do it… they don’t have to have a cookie cutter journey,” Shontell said.
