As Lauren Larkin (’21) closes her chapter at CCLCM and prepares for pediatric residency, she continues to immerse herself in community improvement initiatives. At the center of her ambition is her late father, whose memory propels her to always “work hard and help others.”
Lauren was 11 years old when she lost her father to a heart attack — a pivotal moment that prompted much personal growth and influenced her decision to pursue a career in the medical field. His sudden death at the age of 54, a scenario not unheard of in her family, sparked Lauren’s interest in the human body, health awareness (she became vegetarian at age 12!), and various determinants of health.
Today, Lauren is the Public Relations Chair for the Bobby R. Larkin, Sr. Charitable Association, a nonprofit her family started in her father’s memory. The organization has provided scholarship support to 11 graduating seniors at Euclid High School, her alma mater. “My father taught us the importance of education and that it is something no one can take from you,” Lauren says. “I have ideas to start a pipeline from the nonprofit to increase interest and get more minorities into the field of medicine.”
After graduating from Howard University in Washington, DC, Lauren decided to return to Cleveland for medical school. “I really felt called to give back in my own community,” she says.
Alongside her studies, she served as President and Vice President of Programming for the school’s chapter of Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity. In these roles, she led service initiatives such as packing medical supplies at MEDWish, crafting with children at the Ronald McDonald House, volunteering at local foodbanks and shelters, and fundraising for the Children’s Miracle Network. She is also involved in research projects focused on disparities in breastfeeding rates, cholestasis in neonates on prolonged parenteral nutrition and resident wellness in pediatric residency.
Last year, as Marketing Subcommittee Chair, Lauren helped recruit more than 2,000 people to attend the Student National Medical Association’s national conference — the largest number of participants in the organization’s history. Although the event was moved to a virtual platform because of the pandemic, Lauren says she felt humbled to be able to help address important educational gaps in the field by bringing together underrepresented minority pre-medical and medical students, and physicians.
Lauren also played a major role in FRESH (Food Resources for Empowerment and Security in Healthy Living) Fairfax, a collaborative project focused on health screenings and nutrition education with residents of Cleveland’s Fairfax community. The endeavor, focused on addressing community-identified health disparities, is now part of the required interprofessional education (IPE) curriculum at Case Western Reserve University. “The whole focus for us was to stand back and not go in with our medical minds or with any preconceived problems to address in the community,” Lauren says. “The residents wanted something that was sustainable. And now, this work is going to be handed on, year after year, through curriculum, which is even better.”
Lauren — who was named one of Northeast Ohio’s “Top 25 under 35 Movers and Shakers” this year — is not yet finished, and she looks forward to playing an active role in her community in the future as a resident at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. As she looks back on the past five years, she notes, “CCLCM gave me the foundation to run and soar with my ideas and dreams.”
In her free time, Lauren loves traveling — she finds joy in trying new things and immersing herself in different cultures. She enjoys cooking vegan meals, dancing, spending time with family and friends, and playing the piano, and she can’t wait to marry her high school sweetheart next year!
