Wharton undergrad health society formed

Students interested in health or health management have a new club on campus: the Wharton Undergraduate Health Society. The society, which held its first organizational meeting last week, is geared to students interested in fields related to the medical profession and aims to "increase awareness and understanding of the everchanging dynamics of the health industry," said the group's founder, Wharton senior Jay Mukerji. Unlike other student medical organizations on campus, membership in the Wharton Undergraduate Health Society is not restricted to students interested in pre-med. Instead, the group hopes to attract members with a variety of interests in the medical field. The society will primarily function as a discussion forum for public health issues and policy. "Members of the Penn community should be leaders through correct understanding of the issues, and not just react to the changes," said Mukerji. For now, the newly-formed society plans to organize a speaker series, as well as organize a national health-care convention with prominent speakers from the health-care industry. But the first step for the society is to start searching for corporate funding. Other activities will include a mentoring program in which graduates or professionals would aid undergraduates in planning their careers in medicine, and publishing a health-care newsletter highlighting changes in public health policy and their effect on professionals. But, Mukerji stressed that the goals and activities of the club are basically in the hands of the members. "We are very interested in input from new members," he said. "They will decide the structure and function of organization." Presently, the society has close to 20 members, including one member who operates her own health care firm. Evening school students, undergraduates, and Wharton students are also already involved. The new Wharton club is similar to other groups on campus, such as the John Morgan Pre-Med Society, which provides resources and opportunities for pre-meds outside the classroom. But it differs in that the Wharton group covers a much broader scope of issues. "It seems like [the Wharton club] will be fairly similar to ours, except that this new group will focus more on the health management and business aspects," said John Morgan Society President Monica Asnani. Health Management and Technology Lecturer June Kinney said she supports the new society, praising the organization for starting a broader cross-school club. "It's a great idea, in terms of allowing students to have some kind of forum," she said. Mukerji, who plans to graduate with a combined major in biology, health care management, and finance, supports the recent developments in public health care policy, but said he doesn't plan to use the organization for any kind of political purpose.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.