Spotlight

Brody MedPals is a student-run organization at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, mentoring K–12 youth in science, medicine, and college readiness across eastern North Carolina. The program was founded by Eduardo Castañeda and is currently led by president Amy Liu, with co-presidents Trisha Rangaraju and Kendall Pixley anchoring the undergraduate chapter.

Awards and recognition. In 2025, Brody MedPals received East Carolina University's Outstanding Educational Program of the Year award, accepted on behalf of the organization by co-presidents Trisha Rangaraju and Kendall Pixley. The Pitt County Board of Education recognized MedPals with the Creating Excellence in the East award, accepted at the November 4, 2025 board meeting by medical students Christiana Higgs and Michael Li. Trisha Rangaraju was separately honored with ECU's Truist Excellence in Student Leadership Award for her work leading MedPals.

In the news. ECU News Services featured MedPals in a December 11, 2025 article by Bobby Ampezzan, "Hands-on anatomy broadens horizons for eastern NC high schoolers," documenting a hands-on day at Brody for sixty students from five Pitt-area high schools — Ayden-Grifton, Farmville Central, Greene Central, J.H. Rose, and Northern Pitt. The Daily Reflector picked up the story for community readers across eastern North Carolina in January 2026. A short documentary on MedPals — "From Teachers to Future Doctors: ECU Medical Students Teach ENC Youth" — is available on YouTube.

Partner schools and reach. MedPals partners with public middle and high schools across Pitt County and surrounding counties, including D.H. Conley, Ayden-Grifton, Farmville Central, Greene Central, J.H. Rose, Northern Pitt, C.M. Eppes, Wellcome, South Central, and Pitt Early College. The organization runs in-school clinical mentorship programming and an on-campus immersion event series at Brody School of Medicine that has reached approximately 400 students per cycle.

Official recognition. Brody MedPals is a sanctioned student organization of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. The organization's official Office of Student Affairs page is available at medicine.ecu.edu/studentaffairs/medpals.