Each year on November 8, colleges and universities across the country recognize National First-Generation College Student Day, a celebration of students who are the first in their families to pursue and complete a college degree.
At the Heersink School of Medicine, the Office of Access & Engagement will join in the celebration with its own inaugural event honoring medical students who are the first in their families to earn a college degree and pursue a career in medicine. The evening will bring together students, faculty, and staff for dinner, conversation, and interactive activities that highlight the determination, resilience, and sense of community that define the first-generation experience.
Jackson Perry, president of First Gen Med
The First-Generation Experience
Being the first in one’s family to navigate higher education, especially medical school, can present a variety of unique challenges. Without the guidance of relatives familiar with the process, many students must learn to manage rigorous coursework, financial strain, and the pressures of professional school largely on their own. The result is a journey that can be highly rewarding, but also very isolating.
For Jackson Perry, president of First Gen Med and a current Heersink medical student, that experience hits close to home.
“My parents were always supportive, and I’m very grateful for that,” Perry said. “But it can be very isolating. I couldn’t have conversations with them about what I was going through, and as a commuter who worked during undergrad, I didn’t always get the chance to connect with other students. It wasn’t until I started interviewing for medical school and met other applicants that I finally felt like I could talk with people who understood.”
Perry, unlike many of his peers, didn’t come to medical school through a traditional pipeline. He decided later in college to pursue medicine, which meant figuring out much of the process on his own.
“I would sit at my computer for hours, looking up doctors’ offices and calling every single one to ask if I could shadow,” he recalled. “I didn’t have much success with that. What I did find, though, is that once I connected with just one other person in medical school, it was easier to get referred to other people.”
That experience inspired Perry to help other students find the same kind of support he eventually discovered. Now, he serves as the first president of First Gen Med, a student-led organization founded by medical students Angel Laboy, Regan Anderson, and Laura Bozeman to create a supportive space for peers navigating medicine as first-generation students.
Since its founding, First Gen Med has hosted events like a Lunch and Learn featuring first-generation residents, medical students, and attending physicians sharing their stories and advice. The group is also developing a mentorship program linking first-generation students with residents and faculty who understand their journeys firsthand.
“It can still feel isolating, even after you’ve made it into medical school,” Perry said. “That’s why I wanted to be involved and help others feel like they’re not alone.”
Students interested in connecting with First Gen Med can follow its Instagram page, @fgm_uab, which shares upcoming opportunities, advice, and encouragement.
Though First Gen Med was founded for those who are the first in their families to earn a college degree, Perry says the group welcomes anyone who wants to participate or offer support. Students who wish to serve in leadership roles are asked to meet the formal definition of a first-generation student, but the organization encourages all medical students who want to connect to get involved.
Celebrate with us
This year’s celebration continues First Gen Med’s spirit of camaraderie. Students can look forward to dinner, conversation, and lighthearted activities, including a discussion game designed to spark conversation and a First-Gen themed bingo with prizes.
The evening will also feature remarks from Mona Fouad, M.D., senior associate dean for Access & Engagement; Raegan Durant, M.D., associate dean for Access & Engagement; Dale Colorado, Ph.D., assistant dean for Student Experience; and Jackson Perry, president of First Gen Med.
"It’s an honor to celebrate the achievements of our first-generation students and residents,” says Leisha Hultgren, Ph.D., program director for Heersink Access & Engagement. “Their journeys remind us that access to education transforms not only individual lives but also the future of medicine itself.”
The First-Generation Medical Student Celebration will take place Thursday, November 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building, Conference Room 102. All medical students are welcome to attend. Register now.