Conemaugh Hospital college students are finishing the Mentoring in Drugs program

Nine students from local colleges completed their training in Conemaugh Health System’s Mentoring in Medicine program.

This year’s student class includes:

Primo DiPaolo, a graduate of Blacklick Valley High School and Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Samantha Hong, a graduate of Westmont Hilltop High School and the University of Pittsburgh; Tori Kocsis, a graduate of Richland High School and Duquesne University; Thomas Syphan, a home schooled student and graduate of St. Vincent College; Jayme Ertter, a Cambria Heights High School graduate and undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown; Kiylee Mizera, a graduate of Central Cambria High School and a bachelor’s degree from St. Francis University; Abigail Steinbeck, a Windber High School graduate and undergraduate degree from Westminster College. Abigail was admitted to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM).

Case Tretter, a North Star High School graduate and undergraduate degree from Penn State University; Alexis Zazvrskey, a graduate of Bishop Carroll High School and a Bachelor’s degree from Juniata College.

This year’s class was led by student coordinators and program alumni McKenzie Warshel and Rachel Dikum. Warshel is a graduate of Richland High School and the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently studying medicine at LECOM in the fourth year. Dikum attended Chestnut Ridge High School and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown before completing her Masters at the University of Western States.

The program is now in its 18th year and is a 10-week summer experience for students interested in medical training to become a doctor. Since its inception, 174 students have participated in the program, which has an 80 percent acceptance rate in medical school. Throughout the program, students accompany doctors across the Conemaugh health system, exposing each student to a variety of specialties. Not only does the program provide unique clinical experiences, but it also prepares students for the application process for medical school.