Endoscopy tech-turned medical student Rachel Signorello put the leadership skills she has been developing as a member of the LEAD@Lahey track to use this summer by co-leading a program for Peabody High School students on UMass Chan-Lahey's campus.
“The LEAD@Lahey summer high school program provides insights into different healthcare careers and educational pathways for local students who might not have access to that information, these resources or mentorship opportunities,” said Signorello, a second-year student in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. “There are multiple paths for a career in medicine, so I’m happy to show these possibilities.”
Signorello and fellow LEAD@Lahey student Meg Wilson provided hands-on activities for the 13 high school students in the week-long program, coordinated guest speakers from different healthcare professions and hosted lunches with medical student mentors. Watch the Student Spotlight video to see Signorello and Wilson teach students physical examination techniques to diagnose a torn anterior cruciate ligament and how to use ultrasounds to identify vascular structures.
LEAD stands for lead, empower, advocate, deliver. Based at the UMass Chan-Lahey campus in Burlington, Massachusetts, the track is for students who seek to make a difference in the health and well-being of the communities they serve through leadership, empowerment, advocacy and transformation of the delivery of healthcare. LEAD@Lahey students follow the core of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine’s Vista curriculum with an added focus on leadership, health systems science and interprofessional care. Signorello and Wilson are part of the second cohort, set to graduate in two years.
“I thought LEAD@Lahey would be a great fit for me to develop my skills clinically and as a leader and I’ve been thrilled with my experience here,” Signorello said. “I feel lucky to practice medicine with physicians who inspire me. I want to be a true physician-leader and take into account all voices on the healthcare team, creating thoughtful and collaborative treatment plans for patients.”
A graduate of Barnard College, the biology major worked as an endoscopy technician at Lahey Clinic for two years before starting medical school. She grew up in Waltham, Massachusetts, close to the UMass Chan-Lahey campus, and said that joining the LEAD@Lahey program felt like home.
“It's crazy because a lot of my family receives care at Lahey,” said Signorello. “As a community member myself, I want to make positive changes my own family could benefit from.”
Signorello is passionate about volunteer work and giving back to her community. She partners with the St. Peter's Free Medical Program, part of the Worcester Free Care Collaborative, as a clinic coordinator and served as a direct care volunteer this summer at Camp Jabberwocky, a camp on Martha’s Vineyard for people with disabilities.
The Student Spotlight series features UMass Chan Medical School students in the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing and T.H. Chan School of Medicine. For more information about UMass Chan Medical School and how to apply, visit the Prospective Students page.
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