Biomedical club members assemble activity kits of toy figurines, crayons, stuffed animals and other items for American Fork Hospital. (Kaitlyn McEntire)
BYU Biomedical Club's mission is to provide an opportunity for students, professors and companies to network while learning about how to improve human health. The club’s service project this semester to create children’s activity kits for American Fork Hospital fulfilled that goal and more.
One hundred activity kits were assembled and delivered to American Fork Hospital, surpassing the Biomedical Club’s goal to complete 50 kits. The kits were filled with toy cars, figurines, stickers, bouncy balls, coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals and other items for children to enjoy, whether they are hospital patients or visitors.
“Biomedical is a very service-oriented field, so we wanted to provide a club activity to get our members together and bond,” said Biomedical Club Vice President Kaitlyn McEntire. “We want our club to feel like a family.”
From left: Hospital child life specialist Amy Black stands with Biomedical Club members Joseph Bonham, Max Butler and Kaitlyn McEntire as they deliver activity kits to American Fork Hospital.(Kaitlyn McEntire)
Varex Imaging, a Salt Lake supplier of medical X-ray tubes and image processing solutions, sponsored the production of the kits. They purchased the materials necessary for 100 kits to be made.
Joseph Rich, one of the club’s two activity coordinators, said service projects like these motivate him.
“It inspires me to be surrounded by such amazing people and gives me more drive to go forth and serve,” Rich said.
The Biomedical Club has been through a transformation in the last six months. What used to be the Biomedical Engineering Society is now a club that is more inclusive to other science-related majors.
One-third of the club’s 65 members are non-engineering students. Club members studying exercise science, biology and microbiology — among other emphases — represent the life sciences majors.
Biomedical Club activity coordinator Max Butler helps deliver activity kits to American Fork Hospital. The club assembled 100 kits for donation. (Kaitlyn McEntire)
The club plans activities every other week in the semester, generally gaining between 10 to 20 new members per activity.
Biomedical Club activity coordinator Max Butler works alongside Rich to plan and execute each of the activities. He recommends joining the club to all students with a potential interest in the biomedical field and appreciates the club’s service-oriented goals.
“It is really fulfilling and exciting to be able to help people while learning and building relationships to progress in our careers,” Butler said. “I really feel supported by BYU in activities, especially those centered on service.”
With the overall goal to improve quality of life for others in mind, the club focuses on other activities as well. On Oct. 18, the Biomedical Club will hold a “Three Minute Thesis” event where professors concisely summarize their research. Companies will also be present at the event for networking purposes.
As BYU’s Biomedical Club grows, the student leadership looks to maintain the spirit of service that may not always be available to those with busy schedules.
“(Students) can choose to do something with (their) time that means way more than just doing homework and turning it in,” McEntire said. “There are always opportunities to do something outside of the usual school routine, and what better to do than serve?”