Touro Day at the Legislature Provides Students and Faculty Opportunity to Educate Legislators About University
The faces of Touro University Nevada were well-represented in the state capitol as they met with numerous Nevada lawmakers during Touro Day at the Legislature on March 27.
Donned in their white coats and flanked by one of the university’s mobile healthcare clinics, students and faculty made their way through the doors of the Nevada State Legislative Building on a rainy Wednesday morning.
Throughout the day, students had one-on-one meetings with legislators, participated in Senate and Assembly floor sessions, and sat in on committee meetings to learn more about the legislative process. These interactions gave students, faculty, administrators, and Advisory Board Members the opportunity to discuss how Touro was working to address the state’s critical healthcare shortages.
“I tried to talk to them a lot about the importance of funding more graduate medical education,” said first-year medical student and Southern Nevada native, Matthew Shoemaker. “I was born and raised here and would love to stay here when I graduate from Touro.”
For those who attended, the eye-opening experience helped them learn why it’s important to be informed about the legislation that affects their professions.
“The best part about this experience was seeing the process of how bills get passed,” said Elizabeth Kennelly, a student in the Medical Health Sciences (MHS) program. “I also loved seeing our CEO & Senior Provost Shelley Berkley speak about the future of medicine and how we are going to improve upon it in the future.”
After leaving the state legislative building, the Touro group hosted a reception at a neighboring event venue.
“It was great to have an opportunity to witness this in action,” said Paula Cook, Assistant Professor in the School of Occupational Therapy. “It was also a great reminder on why it’s so important join your professional association when you’re finished with your studies.”
