Alison Yong ’28, a medical student at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, has been selected for New England Donor Services’ recently announced inaugural class of the Galen V. Henderson, M.D., Stimulate Equity, Education, and Diversity Program, according to Providence Business News.
The program runs from June 2 to July 24 and is an immersive experience for medical students of diverse backgrounds to learn more about fairness in organ donation and transplantation in health care. It includes 25–30 hours each week of learning in which students will participate in seminars, roundtable and journal club discussions, mentored scholarly projects, and activities, as well as community and stakeholder engagement.
Topics discussed by experts in discussions and lectures include organ failure and transplantation; the history of organ donation and transplantation; donor management and organ recovery; organ allocation, policies and practices; racial disparities in transplant; ethical considerations of donation and transplant; and innovations in organ donations and transplantation.
Students are provided with a stipend from New England Donor Services to cover living expenses and are mentored by researchers from the organization.
The program is named in honor of the late Dr. Galen V. Henderson, who was an associate medical director of New England Donor Services and was the first Black neurointensivist in the United States.