Roland Dexter Yellowman Jr.
Name:
Roland Dexter Yellowman Jr.
Graduating Class:
Class of 2024, Duluth Campus Medical School
Undergraduate school attended and major:
Arizona State University; BS in Biochemistry with an emphasis in Medicinal Chemistry
Languages spoken:
English and some Chinese
Favorite activities to do in Duluth or the Twin Cities?
During my time in Duluth, I really enjoyed taking walks by Lake Superior. While in the Twin Cities, my wife and I enjoyed shopping at the Mall of America.
Why did you choose the University of Minnesota Medical School and what do you like about it?
I chose the University of Minnesota Medical school because they have a great Native American program at the Duluth campus. In addition, I was very fortunate to have received the Dean’s Scholarship which has helped cover the cost of tuition, and for this I am very grateful.
What would you change (areas of development) about the University of Minnesota Medical School?
This is a difficult question for me because I haven’t had the full experience at UMD due to the COVID-19 pandemic which prompted remote learning restrictions amongst medical school students. Even though proper regulatory measures by the CDC required social distancing, I still felt like we had adequate amounts of hands-on experience both with anatomy lab and the facilitated group learning activities; which entailed honing physical exam skills and other important clinical skills.
What is the relationship between the students and the surrounding community?
As a Native American at UMD, I feel privileged to practice medicine in the clinic or at the hospital which provides health care to a diverse patient population. I also feel that our diverse student body of aspiring physicians has the opportunity to provide improved culturally competent healthcare. At UMD, we believe in serving the needs of rural Minnesota and Native American Communities.
Have you participated in any student organizations? If so, why did you select those organizations and what has been your experience?
I am the Vice-President of the Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS) organization at UMD. I have also held the position of ANAMS student representative. I chose these positions because I would like to be affiliated with and contribute to my Native American community. I contributed, as a member of the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, to alleviating the damage done by COVID-19 and also to help improve the vaccination rates of uninformed Native Americans. I am also a member of the Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group (OSIG) organization. My affiliation with OSIG stems from my desire of helping individuals with abnormalities of the skeletal system as an orthopedic surgeon.