A new club is being introduced to the University of North Dakota, specifically for students seeking a medical career, and what’s even better about it is that it is created for women. 

A group of freshman students have banded together to create the UND Women in Pre-Health Club. Freshman student, Jana Russiff, will be serving as Treasurer for the club, and is currently majoring in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She says of the effort to start the student organization, “everyone is surprised that there isn’t already a club like this” 

Several other women-centered groups exist on campus; one of the most popular being the Women in Business club. Russiff, alongside the club President Daylin Roberson-Kitzman and Vice President Rebecca Bradbury, are working together as a team to get the ball rolling on an opportunity that will help to create a sense of community for undergraduate students who are seeking health-related careers. The goal of UND Women in Pre-Health is to provide volunteer and job-shadowing opportunities, study groups, and speakers to provide information and perspective on various health professions.  

Russiff emphasizes that the Women in Pre-Health Club has an overall goal of supporting women in getting their professional degrees. It is important to mention that, alongside things like speakers and volunteering, there will also be social events, snacks, and crafts. The club is meant to provide opportunities for women studying health professions to connect, converse, and take a break.  

For students pursuing medical school, having a supportive group or a sense of community can make or break their academic experience. Women in Pre-Health offers a chance for students in health fields to have friends to turn to when school becomes taxing. Considering that health fields are laborious, burnout-causing academic paths, clubs that create connections prove invaluable to offering students support, making their academic journey a bit easier.  

Women in Pre-Health is open for women in all undergraduate health fields, such as nursing, pre-med, and psychology. The club will be starting up in the fall, but a tabling event and an interest meeting have already occurred this semester, and more interest events will likely follow either this semester or in the early fall. For more information on UND Women in Pre-Health Club, visit their Instagram account @undwomeninprehealth. 

Ava Stockstad is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].