As a teen growing up on Chicago’s South Side, Abdullah Hasan Pratt, MD, didn’t have mentors or much exposure to the medical profession. Still, he dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now, Pratt, a third-year emergency medicine resident at the University of Chicago Medicine, wants to help today’s South Side teens realize their dreams – particularly those residing in underserved communities surrounding UChicago Medicine. He developed the High School Medical Symposium program to inspire these students to consider and pursue careers in the field of medicine.
“The symposium gives teens a boot camp-style experience of what it is like to work in the medical field for a day,” said Pratt, a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. “It is important to keep that spark alive and encourage them as they pursue their dreams of becoming the next generation of medical practitioners.”
During one of Pratt’s recent events, more than 50 students from EPIC Academy College Prep High School, a charter school located on Chicago’s South Side, visited UChicago Medicine. Pratt welcomed the students and provided an overview of health concerns and disparities that affect South Side residents. He also highlighted the history of African American medical pioneers who have worked to address these disparities.
