During Medical Training, Jodi Llanora Focuses on Giving Back

Josie (Jodi) Llanora is a third-year medical student at the ��ɫ�� College of Medicine-Lexington Campus. In the following Q&A, she shares her inspiration for pursuing medical school and how involvement in organizations at the college has fueled her passion for medicine.

Q: Where are you in your medical training?

A: I’m about two-thirds into my third-year of medical school at the Lexington Campus. I recently completed my psychiatry clerkship, which involved rotating through Eastern State Hospital. Even if I may not end up pursuing a career in psychiatry, it was a great experience to learn as a student-psychiatrist for four weeks! To me, the best part about third year is that I get to spend time learning about the different fields of medicine and directly interact with new patient populations.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?

A: I was initially inspired to pursue a career in medicine in October 2011 when my cousin was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma. During that time, I became closely involved with the student organization, DanceBlue (to the point where it influenced my decision to attend ��ɫ�� for my undergraduate education), which is associated with his treatment clinic at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Through my experiences with the patients and families of the DanceBlue Hematology/Oncology Clinic, I quickly developed a passion for medicine and an appreciation for the delicate role of a physician who provides care for patients in some of the most vulnerable times of their lives.

Q: What have you been involved with in the College of Medicine since you started?

A: Since I started in August 2019, I’ve been involved with the Salvation Army Clinic, AAMC Organization of Student Representatives (OSR), Inclusive Education Advisory Committee, and the ��ɫ�� College of Medicine Admissions Committee. I have also had the opportunity to organize MedMadness, a month-long blood donation competition between the medical schools of Kentucky, and we recently completed our second competition at the end of January! My hope is for this event to serve as a yearly opportunity for medical school communities to give back to the state of Kentucky. Involvement in these organizations and initiatives have provided me with a greater sense of purpose at the ��ɫ�� College of Medicine and serve as continual reminders for why I chose to pursue a career in medicine.

Q: What have been some of your favorite experiences so far at the College of Medicine?

A: My favorite experiences so far involve class-wide events because it’s refreshing to be able to spend time together outside of the school-setting. For example, after we finished our first course of medical school, Clinical Anatomy & Radiology, my class celebrated afterward by tailgating together at Keeneland!

Q: What is an interesting fact about yourself?

A: I love to play chess! I usually play on the Chess.com app, but I recently started going to Brevedé Coffee Co. on Sunday afternoons to play in-person games. My favorite endgame involves the “rook roller.”