SALUD 2020 is off to a great start! We had our first ever orientation session and it was great to have so many parents involved and asking questions. Migrant Roots Media was our partner for helping to introduce the concepts of community and social justice to the students and Dr. Gaby Nagy worked with parents to identify how we can best serve our new families. It was so great to see previous scholars and parents come for a panel on what SALUD means to them – I personally was blown away by what they had to say. Be sure to check out the Scholars page to meet our SALUD Scholars cohort!
On Oct 12, we had our first real session! First, medical student Tim and Nikki led tours through the medical school. One highlight was students seeing the 4th floor portraits and noticing how class diversity has changed over time. Afterwards, students broke up into their mentor groups and were led on tours of the undergraduate campus! They saw highlights like the Innovation Co-Lab, Perkins, the Gothic Reading Room, Student Wellness, Bryan Center, and Wilson Gym. We ended the tour at West Union for lunch and students shared 3 goals they hope to accomplish by the end of the program. We headed back to Duke Med for a fun icebreaker and then dived into the curriculum. We defined social determinants of health and our students shared great insights about their experiences. We explored the history of Durham and students shared what they notice about their different neighborhoods. This was taken to another level after John Killeen, Executive Director of DataWorks NC shared the awesome neighborhood compass and challenged the students to learn more about the environments they live in. Our students asked great questions, including asking John how this data informs his beliefs about the capacity for changing our community. We ended the day with a session on Match/Fit: Finding the Right College For You with Duke College Advising Corps member Rafay Malik! Students used tools to identify the best colleges for student profiles. Next week they’ll start looking at the best schools for themselves! It was an amazing day and I know this year will be special.
