Founded in 2022 by Lillian Tovar, Women in STEM is a club at Oakmont that was made in hopes of creating a strong community that encourages women to pursue their passions. 

The club meetings take place every other Thursday in room P-15 after school. During one of the meetings, they learned about some important women figures within the world of STEM. 

The first important figure the club members learned about was Elizabeth Blackwell. Blackwell was a British and American physician who moved to the United States from England when she was only 11, being the first woman to earn a medical degree in the US. 

They also learned about Antonia Novello, the first Hispanic woman to obtain a Bachelor of Medicine in the United States. Novello used her degree to become the first Hispanic Surgeon General in the United States. 

Both women helped pave the way for future generations of women within the medical field. 

For the main activity planned, club members were given the chance to learn about SOAP notes, which stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan notes. It explained the aspects and process of how those in the medical field create/fill them out. The purpose of the SOAP notes is to document a patient’s progress within a treatment and keep track of needed medical information. 

A Quizizz had also been created regarding this topic, encouraging those in the club to be more involved. An incentive of candy had also been made, furthering the encouragement for people to participate. 

Overall, the club was an interesting experience, and I recommend checking it out for those who are interested in being a part of a strong community and learning more about STEM.