Doctor for a Day

Doctor for a Day (DFAD) is a monthly themed academy that exposes K-12 youth to health careers through hands-on activities. DFAD partners with clinical departments, school districts and non-profits to hold workshops led by medical students as near peer mentors bringing healthcare professionals to K-12 youth to serve as mentors and role models. Thus far, DFAD has reached over 3,000 students and serves over 560 students per academic year.  

About the Program

Open to all students, the purpose of Doctor for a Day is to inspire and encourage educationally and economically under resourced students to consider medicine or other healthcare careers. Run almost entirely by UW School of Medicine students, Doctor for a Day events are made up of hands-on stations such as teaching physical exam skills, patient interviewing techniques, and suturing. 

This program is fundamental to showing K-12 students the vast array of careers that they can pursue. These students are the future and will change the face of medicine and the delivery of health care.  Our focus on elementary, middle and high school students is critical to increasing educationally and economically under resourced students in health professions. Research shows that without intervention in elementary school, educationally and economically under resourced students may lose interest in science and math by their teens and discount their abilities in those subjects before finishing high school. 

Early socialization and achievement experiences can have a substantial impact not only on the pursuit of STEM and health careers but on community health outcomes. A diverse health profession workforce leads to improvement in health care, access to providers and health facilities, and equitable health for all patients. 

We envision a world that embraces the diversity of our communities and a diversity that is reflected in our healthcare providers. By ensuring educationally and economically under resourced students are exposed to health careers and supported throughout their path, we will have a profound impact on the number of health providers serving in underserved communities and conducting research to help eliminate health disparities and address social determinants of health that disproportionately affect educationally and economically under resourced communities.  

Meet the Team

Register

For general inquiries or to receive information on future events, please contact uwdfad@uw.edu.