group of students and faculty Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine organized an outreach event with the Monaca Indian Nation to provide instruction and mentoring to tribal high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in medicine.
The day-long event featured hands-on learning activities and panel discussions focused on medical students’ personal experiences in medical school.
“The big theme of the day was mentorship,” said Adam Hock, Class of 2027, one of the event organizers. “It was a good introduction to what life as a physician is like for the participants.”
The Monacan Nation is primarily located in the Piedmont region of Virginia and parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The tribe is a federally recognized sovereign tribe headquartered in Amherst County with more than 2,600 members.
The event was started by Navin Jayaswal, a 2025 graduate of the School of Medicine, who has had a long-standing interest in supporting Indigenous scholarship.
Mr. Jayaswal was motivated to organize this event.
“We thought it was important for the VTC to work with Monacans and mentor some of them as medical students, who would eventually become doctors and serve the nation,” Jayaswal said. “Empowered tribal members who pursue careers in medicine can become agents of change in their communities.”
Activities for the day included locating and observing the carotid artery with a portable ultrasound machine, practicing suturing techniques, checking blood pressure, and learning CPR.
Velu Krishnan, a Class of 2027 graduate and co-organizer of the event, said, “I am grateful that so many of my peers drove about an hour and a half to participate in this event. It was really meaningful to us.”
