Dr. Alexandra Maloof considers herself fortunate for knowing early in life that she wanted to help others through medicine. But she knew it would be a long road to overcome setbacks associated with living in a rural, agricultural area with limited educational resources.

Now a third-year internal medicine resident at Baylor College of Medicine, Maloof remembers how important it was for her future career to participate in a high school science outreach program designed for students who lacked access to opportunities in medicine. She credits the program with paving the way for her own future.

“Ever since then, it opened a panorama for me to make it easier for students with similar backgrounds – either economically, with limited academic resources, or from humble beginnings without mentors – to receive mentorship and have early exposure to the medical field,” Maloof said.

While at Baylor, Maloof developed Intercity Medical Careers Outreach (IMCO) in collaboration with Mr. Oliver Stevenson, the executive director of Southside Community Center. This organization is dedicated to teaching children in Houston, ages 8-14, through an organ-based, immersive curriculum. The program’s goals include creating a learning pipeline for Houston-area students, providing mentorship and teaching by Baylor residents, and distributing food and resources during each session. Additionally, the program aims to provide a safe learning environment for the children.

IMCO has been hosting these interactive at the Southside Youth Programs Campus, 7210 Peerless St., Houston, TX 77021. The sessions run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Light breakfast and a full lunch are provided, and up to 30 children sign up to participate in each session. These children, affectionately referred to as “the kiddos” by Maloof, come from five different community centers across Houston.

“This program is driven by the dedication of our volunteers who genuinely care about the kids,” Maloof said. “Baylor residents go out of their way, even after busy rotations and night calls, to leave a positive mark on the lives of underserved children who might otherwise lack role models or exposure to medicine. Their unwavering support ensures that IMCO remains a thriving initiative.”

After an opening keynote presentation by a Baylor faculty member, children rotate between classrooms for three different workshops developed and run by about 10 Baylor residents. These residents volunteer their time for each Saturday session. The day ends with lunch where they take time to eat with the children to answer questions or just talk about their journey to medical school and residency. Maloof calls it a special opportunity to get to know the kids individually and offer mentorship.

“Despite the program not being funded, Baylor residents are incredibly creative when it comes to developing activities to engage the kids. The limited resources we have for the outreach force us to think outside the box to make the sessions happen,” Maloof said.

Some examples of these innovative sessions include a pulmonary session where students created their own lung models with balloons and cups to understand negative pressure; an infectious disease session where kids created their own petri dishes using cinnamon rolls, frosting and sprinkles to represent cocci or diplococci; in a hematology session, the kids learned about blood by creating their own “blood” using marshmallows, water, corn syrup and cinnamon candies; in the neurology session, children crafted brains from clay.

The program will continue when Maloof returns to San Diego for her cardiology fellowship at Scripps Health later this year. IMCO spring sessions resume March 1 at the Southside Youth Programs Campus.

Dr. Karl Lundin, a third-year resident in internal medicine-pediatrics, will take lead. Lundin is excited to take over the leadership of the program and aims to transition IMCO into a sustainable initiative that will last long beyond his time at Baylor. His prior teaching experience and interest in education drew him to the program.

“I hope my Med-Peds background will be helpful as we aim to integrate pediatrics residents into the program this year,” Lundin said. “I took on this role because I believe the program has the potential to make a significant positive impact on many kids, and I am hopeful we can set it up for long-term success.”

For more information or to volunteer time with IMCO, please contact Maloof at alexandra.maloof@bcm.edu or karl.lundin@bcm.edu.

By Julie Garcia