Incoming University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine students will compete in a Learning Community Olympics on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, as part of new-student orientation. The combination of contests and challenges is designed to foster a sense of cooperation and teambuilding among students as they begin their medical education.
The event, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the YMCA Youth Center, 2400 Seventh Ave. North, will feature activities selected by the students. These include sporting events such as basketball and volleyball tournaments and a swimming relay, along with traditional camp events such as rock climbing and a three-legged race.
There will be a dessert-making contest, a poster-making contest, a Sudoku challenge and a crossword puzzle contest. As a nod to modern technology, there even will be a tweeting contest. Students also will compete in two medically themed relay races, one featuring the game “Operation” and the other involving medical garb such as surgical gowns, gloves and masks.
The purpose of Learning Community Olympics is to foster awareness of the learning-community spirit and reinforce commitment to its shared goals and objectives. The concept will be invaluable in the classroom and the clinic as students progress through medical school.