Jaylyn Thompson, 24, was in her first year of medical school at Rowan-Virtua SOM and already involved in academic research on rising maternal mortality rates when her own sister’s traumatic pregnancy brought the subject close to home. Knowing the many ways the U.S. health system fails Black women made it gratifying – and scary – to help her sister get the care she needed.
Now in her third year of medical school, she continues to be a rising voice for improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
“When I get stressed or overwhelmed with medical school, I remember what my sister went through, and it keeps me grounded and very motivated,” she adds. “I’m not exactly sure of the specifics about what I will do in the OB/GYN field, but helping to lower mortality rates is my underlying passion.”
