COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dr. Laura Espy-Bell is the founder of the program Made for Medicine, which exposes middle school and high school students to the medical field by teaching them skills needed to be successful in medicine by working with current doctors and medical students. 

Espy-Bell said the students even receive white coats and are addressed as “doctor” to manifest their goals. 

“These kids are learning advanced procedures that some people don't learn into their own residency in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade,” Espy-Bell said. 

From learning about CPR and pediatrics to visiting different hospitals and interacting with real patients, Espy-Bell said this program’s goal is to create more Black doctors to help close the gap of race-based health disparities. 

“Studies have shown that people of color are more likely to listen to a provider if they're of the same race," Espy-Bell said. "They're more likely to be compliant with medications such as taking their blood pressure medication or following up if they have a provider that looks like them."

Dr. Lamont Clay was one of the first physicians to join the team for Made for Medicine. He saw Espy-Bell’s vision since its inception and believes she’s truly making a difference in kids’ lives. 

“The whole point of Made for Medicine is letting somebody see somebody that looks like them, talks like them, came from neighborhoods like them, and understanding 'wait, if they did it, I can do it,'” he said.

He believes, because of this program, the idea of medical school and becoming a doctor becomes less intimidating. 

“We demystify the process for them as well. Right. So they have an opportunity. Yeah, it's a long time. It's a lot of years of schooling, and when you're in fifth grade or sixth grade and we say, 'hey, we had a total of 12 years of official schooling, plus then you go to residency', they're like, 'wait, whoa, slow down,'" Clay said. 

Made for Medicine started in 2021 and, although their oldest cohort is in 10th grade, they know the next steps for these students post high school will be higher education in medicine. 

“Our lives depend on changing the medical face of what it looks like in terms of physicians that are serving the community,” Espy-Bell said.