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Congratulations to College of Public Health student Jordan Smith, a third-year pre-med student, who will begin a summer internship with Akron Children’s Hospital in June. “I’m excited for this incredible program that will provide me with a unique opportunity to gain valuable clinical and research experience while focusing on patient outcomes within the hospital,” states Smith. The internship provides students with intensive research mentoring and optional clinical opportunities, including morning rounds with a care team and unlimited job shadowing.

According to Smith, “my current plans are to apply to combined MD-PhD programs. I think having my background in public health gives me a strong mindset of treating patients holistically and considering their health status beyond just physical health, including mental, financial, and social well-being. Through research and in a clinical role, I hope to explore different ways to help patients.”

He adds, “I am a first-gen college student, who grew up in Akron.” For five years after graduating from high school, he worked in a restaurant. When the restaurant closed, he applied to Kent State and started working in food service at Akron Children’s Hospital. “I originally applied for nursing school, but after working at the hospital and seeing doctors at work, I realized that medicine was a realistic goal even for a first-gen student that knew nothing about the field. I have always loved Kent because it is a small town but the university gives it a big city feeling and I’ve always loved all the trees and green space on campus!”

Smith will be joined by two other Kent State students that were accepted to the program, Bri Bish (Biological Sciences) and Roman Giacomino (Biotechnology). Information about the internship can be found at.