Haley Sieg, 2023 Ken and Joan Frankel Outstanding Premedical Student of the Year Award
Haley Sieg, 2023 Ken and Joan Frankel Outstanding Premedical Student of the Year Award
- Undergraduate researcher in the Department of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering
- Research project: "Spinal Pathology Model for Surgical Resident Instruction"
- Medical actor for the Department of Nursing
- Student success mentor for MCAT test prep
- SARS-CoV-2 contact tracer (Butler County)
"I think the capacity for empathy is one of the most important qualities a physician can have. It’s the difference between seeing a patient and seeing a chart on a page. Whether it is working on communication to deliver some bad news to a loved one, or giving hope to one more round of treatment, the ability to connect with the patient on their terms and reflect that understanding back to them is what helps the patients feel heard and seen by their physician"
The Frankel Outstanding Premedical Student of the Year Award recognizes the top premedical student in each graduating class, and the awardee is selected by the Director and Assistant Director of the Mallory-Wilson Center for Healthcare Education. The 2022-23 recipient of the Ken and Joan Frankel Outstanding Premedical Student Award is Haley Sieg.
Benchtop in Biomedical Engineering lab using a sewing machine and paint to construct meningeal coverings for the simulator
Haley is a Theater/Biomedical Engineering double major, with a co-major in Premedical Studies, and minors in Musical Theatre and Dance. She has achieved an outstanding GPA and MCAT score. As exceptional as her academic record has been, her extracurricular involvement really sets her apart, in which she has been able to find that connection between science and the arts. She has been able to leverage her passion for theatre and dance in unexpected ways. For example, she was part of the inaugural group of theatre students trained to act as patients for our nursing students. During these simulations, the actors must realistically present to the students to help them prepare for real-life clinical situations.
Haley has been actively engaged in the medical community as a volunteer in the ER at Kettering Health, as a COVID-19 Contact Tracer during the height of the pandemic, and as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Jessica Sparks. Her team has been working to create a tactile replica of the spine to help train surgical residents at Wake Forest School of Medicine in minimally invasive discectomies. Even in her research she has been able to integrate her theatre experience, in this case costume design and construction, into training team members how to sew small fabric tubes to use as meninges in their spinal model. As the undergraduate team leader, she would help to coordinate different branches of the project, set goals and oversee progress.
Helping others elevate their game is a common thread that connects Haley’s activities. Drawing on her strong performance on the MCAT, Haley has been a Student Success Mentor for Altius Test Prep, in which she works one-on-one with students to help them with content while helping them to strategize their approach to study and build their confidence. She has also served as Dance Captain in musicals presented by student theatre. As captain, she held workout sessions to build stamina and reviewed technique to help team members keep up.
Haley’s record both in and out of the classroom earned her multiple medical school acceptances, and we are excited to see her start medical school this fall at Indiana University.
The Mallory-Wilson Center is proud to recognize Haley Sieg as not only a deserving recipient of this award, but also as an outstanding member of Miami’s pre-health community. Congratulations Haley! We wish you and all your outstanding classmates the best of luck in medical school and beyond.
[May 2023]
