Jesus E. Medina, a second-year medical student at International American University College of Medicine, represented all Saint Lucian medical students in front of more than 150 practicing physicians and was recognized as the first medical student ever to give a presentation at the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA). Many physicians and surgeons called it a breakthrough for the medical community because the majority of the medical community had the wrong concept or stereotype for decades that all medical students were just young individuals without any previous academic or work experience, but they learned that many medical students have the maturity and professionalism to join and lead important projects or research studies.

The topic of his presentation was “Medical student leadership and research”. The main points of his presentation were to bring representation for all medical students in Saint Lucia and work with the medical community for medical research opportunities and collaboration for professional development. Mr. Medina also presented his current research study “Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and sexual disorders: a retrospective study of the association of two increasingly common diseases in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia” on which he is working with other IAU medical students; Blady Gonzalez, James Troyer, Loren Alonso, Justus Suberu, Martin Osahen and PreMed student Leshontae Missick. Mr. Medina understands that healthcare is an interdisciplinary endeavor; therefore he has a vision for all medical students to acquire skills to collaborate and lead inter-professional teams all around the globe.