By Flora Lepage, year 9
The practice of medicine has been around since ancient Egypt and continues to develop as new discoveries are yet to be found. As the world develops, so does the world of medicine, which is why it is so important for people of all ages to be continuously educated on this topic. Medicine is one of the most important reasons that people today live healthier and longer lives than before, when many areas of medicine were unknown to humans. But as the world has progressed, so has the knowledge of medicine. Being educated on such topics is crucial for everyone.
LGB is lucky to have a medical club here where students learn about new diseases and disorders as well as collaborate with other clubs, such as WinSteam (Women in Steam), to raise money for people around the world who are determined to have a future in the world of medicine. The Medical Society is led by two students from Year 12, Aimilia-Meropi Konialidis and Marco Kurdoglu. The LGB Express had the opportunity to interview one of the leaders, Aimilia, to introduce the club and explain a little about it.
Could you briefly explain what your CAS club is about?
The Medical Society is about medicine, as the name suggests. We try to teach members about a new disease/disorder every week and have been trying to collaborate more with other clubs and individual students in order to expose students to different things that are related to medicine. The work we did with WinSteam was one such collaboration.
How did you get the idea to start the club?
The club actually started a few years ago and I took over with a classmate of mine, Marco Kurdoglu. We took over the club in November 2021 and really got it started in January this year.
What achievements have you made/do you hope to make with the club?
Our biggest achievement is definitely this collaboration with WinSteam. We hope to be able to increase the membership of the club and approach younger students in order to expand their medical knowledge and show them how fascinating medicine, and really science in general, can be.
What are you currently doing?
Currently, we are working closely with another student, Vanessa Sudan in year 12, for what I believe is her CAS project. We will be fundraising for children with cancer and collecting old toys to be donated to orphanages in Geneva.
What did the Medical Society and WinSteam do in the collaboration?
We raised money for a young girl in Sierra Leone, Khadijatu. Because her family only has an income of 40 francs per month, she was unable to afford the fee for university but was, and still is, determined to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. In order to raise money for Khadijatu we had a bake sale and raised over 600 francs. The WinSteam club has also been fundraising by going around mentor classes during breaks and taking donations.
Why did you decide to collaborate with WinSteam?
We are friends with the members of WinSteam, and one of the leaders, Vanya Saksena, approached us about working together. It was really the WinSteam team’s research and idea to do the bake sale and support the cause. We thought that because Khadijatu has the goal of becoming a woman in STEM and wants to go into medicine it made sense for both clubs to collaborate and that way, hopefully, earn more money.
How does the club contribute to the Ecolint community?
Our aim with the club is to inspire younger students to learn about the wonders of medicine and nurture their curiosity. We really just wanted to share our own passion for medicine with others. I would say we contribute to the Ecolint community by motivating younger students to learn more about medicine. We also help students by explaining what their next steps could be in pursuing a career in medicine if that’s something they’re curious about.
If students are interested in joining the club please contact: marco.kurdoglu@learning.ecolint.ch or am.konialidis@learning.ecolint.ch
Photo credits: Medical Society
