Miami Student

Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Campus

A maximum of 60 students will particpate in the Mallory-Wilson Pre-Health Living Learning Community this fall. Hahne Hall was chosen because of its proximity to Pearson Hall.

Students interested in a future in a health-related profession will soon have the benefit of another tool at their disposable that could bring them closer toward realizing their goals-a pre-health living learning community.

Beginning next fall, Hahne Hall will house the new Mallory-Wilson Pre-Health Living Learning Community (LLC).

The Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education is sponsoring the new LLC.

David Pennock, professor of zoology and director of the center, said the mission of the Mallory-Wilson Center is in-line with the purpose of the new LLC.

"The fundamental purpose of center is to help students prepare for a career in healthcare," Pennock said. "We coordinate pre-health advising for Miami."

The creation of the new LLC is the result of a student idea the center decided to sponsor.

Junior Jon Karnes, who originally proposed the idea, described the LLC as the result of collaboration.

"David Pennock and I got the idea because we saw a need for more interaction between physicians and students, and (we) wanted to help students interested in health professions," Karnes said.

According to Karnes, the inspiration for the LLC sprang from the intersection of two separate parts of his life.

"I've been an RA for two years and involved in Mallory-Wilson Center, so I thought why not combine the two," he said.

Discussing the inclusive nature of the program, Karnes emphasized its pre-health focus. Rather than cater to pre-med students, for whom the university already has a well-established advising program, Karnes said the new LLC would include students who have aspirations in other fields of the health industry.

"We saw a need to help those (other) students because we have pre-med nailed down," he said. "What's unique about the Mallory-Wilson Pre-Health community is the programming (that will) help students have a better idea of what the health profession will be about."

Despite the LLC being approved, the programming is still being worked out.

"We're still thinking and coming up with things we're going to try to do," Pennock said. "We're thinking about a one-credit seminar in the community to learn more about health care professions."

Continued...

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