NWHS Students Learn Through Leaders

January 22, 2021

Northwest High AP Chemistry students did not need to travel far to receive the field trip of a lifetime. In December, the students, who are members of the Health Science Academy, had the chance to speak with Dr. Alex Jahangir, MD, MMHC.

Dr. Alex Jahangir is the chief of Nashville’s Coronavirus Task Force, Director of Orthopedic Trauma at Vanderbilt Medical Center, a professor at Vanderbilt University, and chairman of Nashville Metro’s Board of Health. 

Ms. Winstead and Dr. Jahangir are alumni of the same high school, and she seized the opportunity to request 15-20 minutes of his time for her students. Dr. Jahangir spent nearly 45 minutes listening to students and answering their questions. 

Ms. Ginna Winstead, the Chemistry teacher at NWHS, said, “When I announced this opportunity to my class, they were in disbelief that they would be able to speak to someone they see in the news on a daily basis. As one student put it, ‘He’s a local medical celebrity.’” 

During the call, they learned about the vaccine roll out to the public and misconceptions about COVID-19. Dr. Jahangir spoke candidly to the students about how to handle a high-stress career in the public eye and how to use your career to give back to the community.

Many of these students are considering careers in Health Science. Dr. Jahangir’s first-hand knowledge was invaluable. 

As members of the Health Science Academy, they appreciated the opportunity to inquire about the always-changing and advancing field of medicine from a physician who has become pivotal in our region during the pandemic. 

Since the conversation, other health science classes have shared the Zoom recording with more students. 

Dr. Jahangir later tweeted out that he hopes “to call them colleagues in the future”.