UTHSC News: Memphis Mayor Advocates for City and UT Health Science Center Connection During Student-Hosted Campus Visit

Students in the College of Medicine were brought a message of encouragement and opportunity by the recently elected mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, during his recent visit to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center's Memphis campus, where he highlighted the importance of the institution's ties to the city.

Hosted by the UT Health Science Center chapter of the American Medical Association Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), Mayor Young engaged with College of Medicine students, drawing from his past experiences as president and CEO of the Downtown Memphis Commission and as Memphis' director of Housing and Community Development, emphasizing the transformative impact dedicated individuals can have on shaping the city's future.

"I'm excited to be here because you all are important on your own and also an important part of the Memphis economy. I want you all to know that I know how important you are to the future of our city," Mayor Young told the students. "There's a national global competition for your talent, but we want you here in Memphis."

In addition to emphasizing the students' crucial role in Memphis' health care sector and economy, Mayor Young underscored his connection to UT Health Science Center as his wife, Jamila Smith-Young, DNP, MPH, CPNP-AC, is a valued alumna and faculty member in the College of Nursing.

The event featured a Q&A session moderated by first-year medical student and AMA-MSS leader Tyler Bruno, who highlighted the significance of Mayor Young's visit in fostering discourse around local health policy and understanding the city's direction under his leadership. "As an organization, our goal is to promote discourse and engagement around topics surrounding health care and health policy," Bruno said. "With Mayor Paul Young being our newly inaugurated mayor, we saw his visit to campus as a unique opportunity to engage with local health policy and understand the direction that the city is taking."

Read more at our UTHSC news site.