Medical student wins awards in 2 national competitions

Flo Doo credits OUWB for her success and providing her a supportive environment where she has many resources and the flexibility to pursue competitions. Doo enters her second year at OUWB in August.

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine Class of 2017 medical student Flo Doo, earned awards in two national competitions this spring allowing her to express her passion for the medical profession beyond the usual paths. 

MCAT Video Competition

Doo won a national competition where she created three videos that would assist medical students to prepare for the revised Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) schedule to be issued in 2015. Doo’s entry was one of 12 chosen from a total of 500 from across the country including medical students from Columbia University Medical Center and Georgetown. 

“Between kindergarten and med school, I’ve always gravitated towards teachers who really engaged me,” said Doo. “I hope to share my love of learning and teaching to future pre-med and medical students.”

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) partnered with the Khan Academy, a not-for-profit organization that offers free online educational resources to students, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on this project.

Doo’s videos run four to seven minutes long and are modeled after the Khan Academy style of video instruction. As part of her award, the Khan Academy flew Doo to San Francisco to participate in a week long visit to learn more about producing videos. 

Google Glass Challenge

Doo launched her award-winning ways during a “pitch-off” at Google headquarters in Boston where she presented her idea, the “FoveOR,” during the finalist level in the Medtech Boston’s Google Glass Challenge. The “FoveOR” would integrate software with the Google Glass to transmit important radiographic images to the operating room surgeon wearing the glasses. Her innovative use of Google Glass would eliminate distractions in surgery.

“My idea provides an integrated display to surgeons in the operating room during procedures so that they don’t have to take their focus away from the patient to view information on multiple screens,” said Doo. 

Doo was the first and only medical student among the 13 finalists. She won the Freedom Nation Award that secures her a 20-minute consult with the White House Innovation Fellows, Tom Black and Nayan Jain.