UMass Chan student Shu Yang among ‘29 Who Shine’

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	Graduating medical student Shu Yang was named one of the '29 Who Shine' by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

School of Medicine student Shu Yang was named by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education as one of its “29 Who Shine” honorees for 2015. The awards recognize graduating students for exceptional commitment to community service and outstanding academic achievement. Yang will be among those honored today by Gov. Charlie Baker in the State House at the fifth annual “29 Who Shine” ceremony.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be named and completely unexpected,” Yang said. “I was lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the people at the Greater Worcester Housing Connection and the Worcester Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program addressing unmet health needs in a vulnerable population. It was one of the most rewarding and impactful experiences during my time as a medical student.”

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education launched “29 Who Shine” in 2011 to recognize outstanding students from each school in the commonwealth’s public higher education system. Nominated by their schools, each honoree is a Massachusetts resident who has made an outstanding civic contribution to the state and intends to remain in the commonwealth upon graduation.

Born in China, Yang moved to Cambridge with his family when he was 5. While an undergraduate student, Yang volunteered at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. It was while working with and talking to the shelter residents that he came to understand just how isolated they were from the services they needed.

As a medical student, Yang received a fellowship from the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in 2012 to establish a foot clinic for Worcester’s homeless population. The clinic provided basic foot care, diabetic screenings and clean footwear to shelter residents at the Greater Worcester Housing Connection. In addition to the individualized care, the clinic helped connect residents to other local resources, such as the Worcester Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Program. He also volunteered at the Mustard Seed Soup Kitchen in Worcester, leading groups of medical students to prepare and serve monthly dinners at the local soup kitchen.

“It’s something we don’t often think about,” Yang said. “Lack of adequate foot care and constant exposure to the elements can lead to frostbite and infections that have an adverse affect on overall health.” He will graduate with a medical degree on May 31.

“Sitting down, tending to somebody’s feet is a very personal experience,” said Yang. “Listening to their experiences; understanding their concerns; it helps establish trust between physician and patient. By building relationships with our patients it’s possible we can begin to change the health outcomes for this underserved population.”

Yang also worked in the lab of Sally Kent, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, conducting research on the role of the immune cells in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. After graduation, he will begin a residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society, and the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Among his many mentors at UMMS, Yang was especially grateful to Phillip Fournier, MD, clinical professor of family medicine & community health.

“Dr. Fournier has been incredibly supportive and encouraging to me throughout medical school. Whether it was questions about medicine or everyday little things, he was always there to listen and offer insight,” he said.

Yang received an undergraduate degree in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University in 2010. Before enrolling at UMMS, Yang worked for a year in the lab of Karin M. Hoffmeister, MD, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, investigating the role of platelets in clotting and transfusion medicine.

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