Medical Students Mentor Fort Worth Fourth-Graders

FORT WORTH – Youth who regularly meet with mentors can avoid severe consequences such as being incarcerated, using illegal drugs and drinking alcohol, according to mentoring.org.

Students at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University are trying to make a difference in the lives of Fort Worth fourth-graders by being mentors to them. As mentors in the Academy 4 program, medical students meet with youth once a month during the school year.

Fourth grade is a critical time for these students because it’s when they begin to formulate opinions and become individualistic.

“During this time, this is where their values, their ethics and their morals are being formed,” said John Shearer, Executive Director for Academy 4.  “It’s this sweet spot where we can show up and have a big impact and big influence on the life of a child.” 

The children who end up being incarcerated start turning to drugs and alcohol in fourth grade, said Ric Bonnell, M.D., Director of Service Learning at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. “If you’re going to make a difference, that is the critical period in that kid’s life to do it.” 

“One of the neat things about our medical students is they’re still young enough and energetic enough that these kids are really looking up to them and identifying with them,”Bonnell said.  

Fiza Baloch, MS-1, who was one of the many medical students taking part in Academy 4, said: “It was really important for me to be able to give back and inspire and build a relationship with a fellow student and have the opportunity to every month play games and talk about life topics.” 

If you would like to be an Academy 4 mentor, go to www.academy4.org.