The Society is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the United States and rich in history. It was founded in 1776 and incorporated on February 3, 1789, only 12 days after President Washington took his oath of office. The first official meeting of the Society was held in Dover on May 12, 1789.
Today, the Apollo Youth in Medicine program provides opportunities for high school students who are interested in a physician career path to shadow practicing physicians and further pursue their interests in the medical profession.
With the support of The Medical Society of Delaware (MSD) and Delaware Youth Leadership Network (DYLN), the Apollo: Youth in Medicine program (see Figure 1) was founded by Sean Holly and Arjan Kahlon in the summer of 2018, with John Kepley joining the leadership team shortly after. Since then, the Apollo leadership team has grown to be led by several focused & resourceful students who are firmly supported by MSD and DYLN.
Figure 1.
The Apollo Youth in Medicine Program Logo
Together this team supports and coordinates opportunities and activities for Apollo students and their high schools with participating Apollo Physician Mentors.
Apollo: Youth in Medicine
Apollo was founded on the idea that high school students interested in the medical field need an outlet to connect them to opportunities present in the medical community, and that clinical shadowing provides valuable first-hand insight allowing exploration. Apollo has expanded its physician network to allow students across Delaware expansive access to shadowing in 17 medical disciplines.
The Apollo Program is Multistep
Interested Delaware high school juniors and seniors are invited to apply every fall through our application.
New students representing multiple Delaware high schools attend a fall education session that covers specific topics such as different specialties in medicine, and the academic pathway to becoming a doctor. Here, Students receive HIPAA training through Apollo, enabling them to shadow in physicians’ offices appropriately.
Apollo gives students access to several shadowing slots offered by dozens of Delaware physicians across various specialties through ‘The Match,’ which occurs multiple times per year. Students can choose as many or as few shadow slots as they’d like.
In addition to shadowing opportunities, Apollo serves as a liaison to gain our students optional access to medical seminars and exclusive Apollo Enhanced Experiences.
Additional information can be found at their website, https://www.apolloprogram.org/.