When you hear the future of medicine discussed today, you often hear about technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, and new models of care. But the future of medicine is not a machine—the future is a person.

Recently, I was honored with the opportunity to provide remarks at the White Coat Ceremony for Made for Medicine’s Phase 1 graduates. This group of 7th grade students gathered at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Stecker Auditorium on March 19th. Surrounded by their families, friends, and the Made for Medicine board and faculty members, they took part in a ceremony much like that of a student a decade older graduating medical school. They walked the stage to receive their white coat and assurance of continued support to enter a field that, if we are honest, may not represent an attainable career for some young people.  

Physician numbers are dwindling and heading toward a dangerous shortage. Physicians are burned out, weighed down by bureaucracy, and burdened by decreased patient trust. Even more concerning, many groups remain severely underrepresented in medicine. Despite the exciting news that medical school enrollment last fall broke 100,000 students for the first time ever, only 8.4% enrollees identified as Black or African American and 11.5% as Hispanic or Latino.  

This is why Made for Medicine matters—to address the underrepresentation by supporting students with an interest in pursuing a career in the medical field. Founded by Dr. Laura Espy-Bell in 2021 and proudly supported by the Columbus Medical Association Foundation, it works to create a future that reflects our society, where every individual, regardless of their background, has equal access to quality healthcare. 

We know that our physician workforce does not yet reflect the communities we serve. That’s why programs like Made for Medicine are critical to close that gap. Providing programming for students from 7th through 12th grade, it exposes them to education, speakers, and hands-on experiences to spark their passion and show them that they belong in medicine. Made for Medicine isn’t just a program, it’s a commitment to our young people, our community, and to reduce healthcare disparities.

In that auditorium last month, I saw the future of medicine in the faces of these students. They’re curious about science, compassionate toward others, and, surrounded by support and encouragement, ready to care for our communities.

To Dr. Espy-Bell, Program Director Ciara Stevens, and the rest of the Made for Medicine staff, Board of Directors, and faculty: Thank you for all that you do to inspire these young people and congratulations on five years!

Made for Medicine is a program sponsored by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and the Columbus Medical Association Foundation.