News
July 2023
Intern Spotlight
In addition to the board members, Med Ed Materials also has three interns who all joined the team this summer. The current interns have the same responsibilities to create high-quality educational materials but are also involved in other special projects to further grow the organization.
Srija Voore (Illinois Wesleyan University ‘25) primarily focuses on managing Med Ed Materials’ Instagram account to share and create posts to present the newest posters on social media. She also helps create other featured content that represents the organization on online platforms to further expand Med Ed Materials’ mission. Along with developing posts and stories for reaching out to the community, Srija also works closely with the board to assist with administrative tasks. She is currently a rising junior majoring in Neuroscience on the Pre-Medicine track. At IWU, she is involved in various clubs and is a board member of co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega (Omega Epsilon), Pre-Health Club, and South Asian Student Alliance. As a new intern for Med Ed Materials, Srija hopes to spread knowledge about how to effectively make health-related decisions to promote better physical and psychological well-being.
Michelle Lu (Illinois Wesleyan University ‘24) creates and edits videos for the Med Ed Materials YouTube channel, including various tutorials for new members. She also makes trendy TikTok-esque videos for the Med Ed Materials Instagram to help gain publicity for the organization and provide medical education in new engaging ways. Michelle is currently a rising senior majoring in Biology and minoring in Music. At IWU, she plays violin for the Illinois Wesleyan Symphony Orchestra and is President of the Asian Pacific American Coalition. Michelle is currently applying to medical school. As a physician, she hopes to educate and empower patients in making their own healthcare decisions, and especially seeks to uplift patients from disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Brooke Blan (Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine ‘26) is working towards recruiting new members, community outreach, and creating workshops for general members to internally advance the structure of our organization. Brooke was born and raised in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. She graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2020 (B.S. in Biochemistry) and from Midwestern University College of Graduate Studies in 2021 (M.A. in Biomedical Sciences). In her free time, Brooke enjoys thrift shopping, training Muay Thai, and spending time with family, friends, and her dog Moby. She is enthusiastic about animals, the outdoors, traveling, and OMM. At AZCOM, Brooke spent her first year prioritizing the development of her study habits and clinical skills while experimenting with school-life balance. She served as the first-year liaison for Dermatology Interest Group and Fighting Against Addiction Through Medicine, and volunteered as a barn buddy at Horses Help. In her second year, Brooke looks forward to serving as the Education Chair for Fighting Against Addiction Through Medicine and becoming more involved in leadership and volunteer opportunities.
June 2023
Social Media Updates
In June 2023, Med Ed Materials launched its official Instagram account (@med_ed_materials). This platform allows us to create an accessible and informational experience for everyone by sharing our posters and featuring healthcare information in an engaging format. Our Instagram bio also features our LinkTree where you can view all of the relevant links and tools to access resources in one place. There is also an option to subscribe to our LinkTree to stay updated with new information and content. We are excited to expand our organization and make more connections by reaching out to the community through social media.
LinkTree
LinkTree View
May 2023
Med Ed Materials Partners With Organizations Nationwide
This month we started a brand new initiative at Med Ed Materials to help spread the word about all the hard work our members have put into our posters. We have partnered with multiple clinics and a food pantry to distribute and utilize the materials that Med Ed Materials creates. By partnering with these organizations, we are expanding the reach and scope of impact that our organization creates. View our initial partners here or visit our "Partner" page.
Partnering with Med Ed Materials can help you or your organization in a variety of ways. Whether you are a local business or clinic owner, a physician, physician assistant, healthcare student, or something else, Med Ed Materials can help you improve healthcare literacy in your community or practice. If you would like to get in touch, visit our "Contact" page or send an email to general@mededmaterials.org and we will get back to you.
Ways you can partner with Med Ed Materials:
- Become a partner organization or clinic so we can list you on our website
- Use Med Ed Materials in your organization, individual practice, or daily life
- Become a member of Med Ed Materials
- Download our iOS App
- Connect with us on social media
- Apply for our Internship Program
April 2023
Med Ed Materials Launches Internship Program
In April 2023, Med Ed Materials started accepting applications for a flexible, personalized, and exciting volunteer internship opportunity. Med Ed Materials accepted 2 interns for the summer of 2023 through this new program. As a leading provider of medical education materials, Med Ed Materials is committed to advancing healthcare education through innovative and interactive solutions. Our new interns will help advance the mission of Med Ed Materials through unique and innovative contributions.
March 2023
Release of First Poster Series: Evidence Based Weight Loss
In March 2023 we announced a new project called EBWL (evidence based weight loss). EBWL is an 11 poster series including daily and weekly checklists, food, behavior, physical activity modifications, assistance with goal setting and more. It is a comprehensive plan to help patients lose weight. EBWL was developed using evidence based techniques and the materials are now free and accessible on the website and mobile app. This program can be used for free by anyone. If you are interested in creating a series or a program like this reach out to general@mededmaterials.org.
Feburary 2023
Spanish Translation of Home, Materials, and Contact Pages
February is a big month in terms of Med Ed Materials becoming bilingual. We have officially implemented a Spanish translation of the home, materials, and contact pages as well as our first fully translated Spanish poster. Anyone can contact the board at general@mededmaterials.org if you would like to translate more of our website, translate more of our posters, or make unique materials in different languages! Thanks so much for helping Med Ed Materials begin to reach those that speak Spanish.
January 2023
Med Ed Materials Celebrates Reaching 1K People
As of this January 2023, not only have we reached 1,000 unique users on our site, but our posters have helped those in 41 different countries. Additionally, many practitioners have already put our materials to use by giving them to patients in their care. This has led to improved patient care and already made a tangible impact on the lives of those we serve. Thanks again for all the hard work!
January 2023
First Edition of the Med Ed Materials Monthly Newsletter
With our number of members and materials expanding, we have begun to institute a monthly newsletter to help everyone keep track of what's new in Med Ed Materials. Joining our organization is easy and free for general members. If you would like to create materials, code on our development team, distribute materials, or have another idea—reach out! Once you join, you can subscribe to the mailing list and receive the monthly newsletter summarizing the latest regarding our organization.
Want to get in touch? Email us at general@mededmaterials.org and we will get back to you.
December 2022
Integration of QR Codes to All Materials
In a special initiative to increase health literacy, QR codes have now been added to all posters. Each poster can be scanned and the QR code will direct to the Med Ed Materials Website.
This will help increase health literacy as just viewing one Med Ed Materials poster can help others discover our whole library. Check out an example!
June 2022
iOS App Released
After quite a bit of work and a lengthy approval process, the Med Ed Materials app is now approved and released on the iOS App Store. Read our snippet about its capabilities:
Access all of the materials from our website on your mobile device! Read, screenshot, share, and learn all the information on our posters easily and on the go. All materials are available offline and can be zoomed and panned around. Use the “My Health Goals” to track your progress. There is also a “Contact Us” button to request new materials and a “Learn More” button to view the sources of each material. Enjoy!
Features:
- Use a personal “My Health Goals” list to track your progress (add, edit, and delete)
- Save health goals that you and your health care provider discuss
- Zoom and scroll functionality to see more of all of our materials
- Offline access for all of our medical educational materials
- Contact us to request new materials
- Dark mode friendly
Check out our app at the iOS app store: Click Here To Visit
March 2022
Article Featuring Med Ed Materials Published In "Vital Signs"
An article featuring the beginning of our organization was published in the Midwestern university vital signs newsletter. We are honored to be featured in the publication and are excited to have more awareness brought to our cause.
February 2022
Med Ed Materials Becomes a 501c3 Corporation
With poster production in full swing, the entire team realized we could benefit from having professional design tools available. In a conversation, we discovered that many professional tools were made available at no cost for 501c3 corporations that had missions to help others. It was decided that we would apply for 501c3 official non-profit status. After months of waiting, we were approved.
July 2021
Med Ed Materials Website Launched
As an official organization in Illinois, we decided we needed a website to showcase and distribute our materials. Website design was something nobody had a lot of experience in, but it was an adventure that prompted the website that you are reading this on today. In June of 2021, we launched our website for the very first time.
June 2021
Med Ed Materials Becomes a Registered Non-Profit In Illinois
With an original business plan and organizing document, Ross and Abi knew that the next step was the official one. They filed with Illinois to become a registered nonprofit in the state and were approved.
June 2021
Founding Members Write Original Organizing Document
After making multiple posters, Abi and Ross knew that this organization was a viable idea, and could grow into something bigger that could really help people. They decided to file as a nonprofit in Illinois and were approved.
May 2021
Founding Members Create Their First Materials
As a second year medical student, Ross Burandt decided that he wanted to begin making a difference in the world of health care. This was a difficult time for finding opportunities due to the coronavirus and so he set out to create his own opportunity. He partnered with another medical student, and friend, Abi Thompson. They made their first educational material to see if this idea could grow into an organization.
