Medical Student Infuses Her Love of Theatre with Her Passion for Medicine

Class of 2026 medical student Lauren Ondrejka has always had a passion for the arts. That interest recently presented her with a unique opportunity — a live musical performance to open the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, CO.

Ondrejka — who has a history with musical theatre, show choir, vocal competitions and dance — was chosen alongside nine other medical student and pediatrician performers from across the country for the ensemble. When her audition video was accepted, she knew it was a chance she couldn’t pass up.

“It was really exciting to have an opportunity to combine my performing arts past with pediatrics,” she said.

The AAP tasked them with a song from She Persisted, The Musical, based on the children's book by Chelsea Clinton about 13 American women who altered history with their persistence. They sang "That's the Score," which describes how Virginia Apgar, MD, created the APGAR score.

Their lead, Dr. Apgar, was played by Sarah Chapin, the managing director of Adventure Theatre MTC — a non-profit children's theatre in Washington, DC. She played Dr. Apgar in her theatre's production of She Persisted, The Musical and is featured on the official cast recording. They put together the performance during a two-hour rehearsal on Friday evening and performed for an audience of 5,000 people the next morning in the Bellco Theatre.

Ondrejka noted that although it was daunting to get it all put together, there was a sense of nostalgia to it, as well. “Once I got to the rehearsal and got to know everyone there, it was actually really comfortable and we had a lot of common shared experiences growing up in youth theater,” she explained. “It felt honestly just like it did when I was doing it as a kid.”

The performance was an extension of how Ondrejka has sought to combine the arts with her studies throughout medical school. A member of the Health Humanities Certificate of Distinction (COD), she knows the value of continuing to pursue the things that make you happy. “It has really been important for me to stay connected to my arts background; it has helped me maintain personal wellness through medical school and through the training process,” she said.

The infusion has also opened further avenues for her to explore self-expression — such as writing and the literary arts. And she sees the merging of the arts and medicine as an invaluable tool to becoming a better physician. “I think it's really important to stay connected with the humanities in any way. It can be art, music, writing, reading, or just discussion of these topics and reflection as a group,” she said. “It really helps me stay connected to why I chose medicine and helps me feel like what I'm doing is meaningful.”

Ondrejka added that there is something intrinsic about this relationship. “Health humanities is about the human core aspect of the lived experience of medicine, illness and health. Reflection can be helpful for anyone — really processing your experiences with patients and thinking deeply about the work that you're doing throughout your training.”

Jennifer Hartmark-Hill, MD, who has worked with Ondrejka through the Health Humanities COD was highly complementary of the type of student she is and the type of doctor she will be. “I'm just so proud of Lauren! She has achieved so many laudable accomplishments over the past several years through her work in the program,” she said. “I can clearly see that she is going to be an incredibly skilled future pediatrician who will care for and support her patients with the utmost kindness and compassion.”