Welcome
Apollo: Youth in Medicine
About Apollo: Youth in Medicine
Apollo: Youth in Medicine is a unique student-run program that helps provide insight into the physician career path to interested high school students. The mission of Apollo is to reduce barriers for high school students as they seek to explore their interest in the medical field. Apollo helps expose high school students to the medical profession by offering access to in-person physician shadowing, supported by educational sessions and Enhanced Experiences. There is no cost to the student.
Apollo was founded in the summer of 2018 by three high school students and community leaders with the support of the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD) and the Delaware Youth Leadership Program (DYLN).
Impact
(Fall 2018-Spring 2026)
Shadow Slots
High School Students
Physicians
Statewide Program
Shadow Hours
High Schools
Specialties & Primary Care
Our History
In the summer of 2018, Arjan Kahlon and Sean Holly, both appreciative of the valuable insight it gave into a possible career in medicine and aware that shadowing was often inaccessible to high schoolers, collaborated to find a solution that would give their peers wider access to such opportunities.
Apollo: Youth in Medicine was born in 2018 with the support of the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD) and the Delaware Youth Leadership Network (DYLN).
Apollo launched its inaugural shadowing session in Fall 2018 with two dozen students from 4 high schools.
Grant funding was given by the Delaware Medical Education Foundation (DMEF), and the program welcomed more students from high schools across the state thanks to a generous and growing network of volunteer physicians, supported by an expanding Student Leadership team.
Apollo has presented in front of multiple state agencies, including the Delaware Health Care Commission and Delaware Institute for Medical Education and Research, and now hosts students from more than 2 dozen high schools across Delaware, becoming the first state-wide high school physician shadowing program in the US.
In early 2020, when COVID-19 necessitated the suspension of in-person physician shadowing, Apollo pivoted quickly and organized a 4-week remote educational session for its students in the summer, and continued through the year with exclusive virtual experiences featuring immersive activities (see Education) with a diverse set of medical professionals.
Since Fall 2021, all participating students have been required to shadow at least one primary care physician prior to exploring specialties. This reaffirms that primary care is the root of strong medical care and demonstrates its importance in building a healthy community for us all.
In Fall 2023 a partnership was initiated between Apollo and LYTE Scholars, which mentors students from under-represented and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds toward college access and career readiness. A new application pathway was piloted that fall to enhance the participation of under-represented youth in Apollo, and has grown steadily; today, approximately 1/3rd of Apollo’s incoming students are LYTE scholars.
Apollo is offered at no cost to the students. The Apollo Leadership Team is led by the volunteer efforts of several focused Student Leaders. The Apollo program is further strengthened by the engagement of adult mentors, high school counselors, and our generous network of Physician Volunteers.
Apollo is thankful for the continued support of the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD), the Delaware Medical Education Foundation (DMEF), Delaware Youth Leadership Network (DYLN), and the Leading Youth Through Empowerment (LYTE) Scholars program.