My favorite part of the Distance Traveled program was drilling and fixing up the bones and making them whole again. I also liked the table where we put a nail in the bone which was almost like a transplant and it was used to make something in the bone bigger.
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The program taught me to stay on top of my classes because if I want to be an orthopedic surgeon, I will need 13 years of studying, and if my grades and work ethic aren't excellent, the 13 years of studying will be very hard to complete.

Even though I never planned on joining the medical field, the way that these expert doctors spoke inspired me as a black person to take more advantage of the opportunities that I have to succeed in life.
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My favorite part of Distance Traveled was the banana where I had to sew it up. It was very entertaining because I was very focused, and I had to make sure to do it accurately.

The most interesting part of the Distance Traveled program is the fact everything was so hands-on. Not for a second was I bored or disengaged. Everyone was very nice even after some had to even come straight from surgery. The food was just an extra bonus.

This program taught me that the orthopedic field is extremely hard and competitive. If you want to pursue this, you need to be very motivated and ambitious towards your goal. Orthopedics has a diversity crisis as there are barely any Hispanics and Black orthopedic doctors compared to white males that dominate the field. This program opened me to the idea of looking into the medical field and even considering being a doctor in the future. It’s a difficult job with test after test, though it’s worth it in the end. Orthopedic doctors truly enjoy their job at the end of the day.

My favorite part of the Distance Traveled outreach program was learning about blood being in the interior of the bone.

I learned that sometimes it can take up to years for you to get to where you want to be in the future.