Greenwood Student Accepted Into Premed SKL Program

Medical school-level lectures while still in high-school is most certainly a rewarding yet challenging experience, which is why Ellie Yantsulis ‘27 was more than excited to be nominated for Premed SKL. Offered to only 50 Grade 11 students across Canada per year, Premed SKL is a six-month mentorship program that teaches students the fundamentals of medical school and the various fields of medicine that can be studied. Since March of this year, Ellie has been attending weekly lectures taught by a handful of medical students, residents and physicians. A new topic in the medical field is introduced each month, ranging from neurology to cardiology.

“We are currently studying ophthalmology, learning about the anatomy and physiology of the eye, common diseases and complications,” Ellie said. “In addition to the weekly session, we complete online modules and action items that are later discussed and dissected in class.”

While the program makes sure to cover the intricacies of medicine, it also focuses on preparing students for day-to-day life in medical school. This is especially important for Ellie, who aims to pursue a career in medicine.

“Personally, I am especially looking forward to the cardiology and emergency medicine specialties. Not only are these both pathways I am considering career-wise, but they are also subjects I find particularly interesting, especially after learning aspects of cardiology in my Greenwood biology class.”

Taking part in lectures on cardiology and engaging with university-level med students can certainly be daunting, but Ellie embraces the challenge. In fact, she attributes the critical thinking skills required for such material to her classes at Greenwood. With much of Premed’s foundational content focused on ethics in medicine, Ellie found that the school’s history and humanities’ courses helped prepare her for the program’s group discussions and supplementary content.

“Although the program's content is quite new to me, the skills I have gained throughout my time at Greenwood have prepared me to meaningfully contribute to discussions and fully comprehend what we learn,” she said. 

Congratulations to Ellie Yantsulis for being accepted into Premed SKL and good luck with the remainder of the program!