After spending years as a barely active club with only three members, Rocklin High School’s Medical Club was revived this year by co-presidents, juniors Sophia Brooke and Kaylin Kwok, along with their club advisor, Mr. Ekman.

Brooke and Kwok are working to create a growing, engaging club that gives students exposure to different career paths in the medical field through guest speakers, service projects for local hospitals, and hands-on medical experiences.

The club originally met infrequently and struggled with participation. When Kwok and Brooke decided to take over, they knew they wanted to transform it. “Me, Sophia, and a few other people decided that we wanted the club to be bigger,” Kwok said. “We just wanted to do more things.”

The group turned to Ekman who had briefly overseen the original club and asked him to serve as advisor. He gladly agreed, saying he wanted to give students a space to explore careers and skills in medicine. “They take control; I’m just here to help,” he said. “My goal is to create time and a place where students can learn the things they’re interested in.”

Since the club’s relaunch, its leaders have focused on exposing members to a wide range of medical fields, from nursing to neurology to cardiovascular specialties. Brooke emphasized that the goal isn’t to push students in one direction but to help them understand their options. “My main goal is for our members to come out of high school with an idea of how to get where they want to be,” she said.

Much of the club’s speaker lineup has come through Brooke’s family connections. “We’ve had a stroke coordination nurse come in,” she said. “It’s mostly to give members an idea of what it looks like to take those steps after high school.”

Hands-on activities have also shaped the club’s identity. Early meetings included anatomy Jeopardy games and tie-blanket projects, which members donated to hospitals earning community service hours. The club also plans to introduce suture practice using fake skin. “We have these suture kits we’ve never used,” Ekman said. “We just need fundraising and time” to expand hands-on opportunities.
In addition to hosting speakers, Brooke and Kwok want the club to become a place where students can support one another academically. They hope to create study groups for members interested in AP science classes or those preparing for future medical coursework.

Kwok said the club could eventually offer peer tutoring or collaborative study sessions that help students build confidence before pursuing more advanced classes in college. The leaders see this academic support as another way to help members understand what it takes to succeed in medical pathways.

The club is also exploring ways to partner with local healthcare organizations beyond hospitals. Brooke mentioned early conversations about connecting with physical therapy clinics, dental offices, and vet clinics to give members the chance to learn about lesser-known fields in medicine. “We want people to see that medicine isn’t just doctors and nurses,” Brooke said. “There are so many roles that play a part in helping others.”

These partnerships, she explained, could eventually turn into volunteer opportunities or job shadowing experiences for interested students.
Although the club hasn’t launched major fundraisers yet, Kwok said the board plans to hold events such as Chipotle fundraisers to pay for supplies like blankets and medical kits. “We want to donate to hospitals like we have before,” she said.

Club promotions are primarily done through Instagram, run by member Gavin Blank, and a Remind chain managed by Kwok. The board meets regularly to plan activities and improve consistency, something Brooke is eager to strengthen. “Our meetings haven’t been super consistent, but we’re working on that,” she said. “We want to do substantial things where members learn something every meeting.”

The RHS Medical Club is steadily growing into the thriving, student-driven community its founders hoped to build one meeting at a time.