Whose Central Line Is It Anyway? is an annual student competition testing pop culture trivia to raise funds for community partners.
For an aspiring medical student, how important is attention to detail when spelling the names of hit songs from the early 2000s? As students from Meharry Medical College (MMC) and Vanderbilt University (VU) discovered earlier this month, it’s actually pretty important.
In the final seconds of a make-or-break round of “Name That Tune,” hurrying to type their answers during the virtual event, one team accidentally entered “In the Club by 59 Cent.” The correct title is, of course, “In Da Club” by 50 Cent—the answer submitted by the winning team moments later.
This was just one of the highlights from the sixth annual Whose Central Line Is It Anyway? hosted by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Student Alliance (MVSA).
Held on Saturday, March 5, the get-together featured a series of game show-style competitions between students from both institutions, gathered via Zoom, vying for Amazon gift cards as well as headphones and JBL speakers donated by Electronic Express.
As in previous years, Whose Central Line Is It Anyway? also collected donations for local charities. This year’s recipients were the Shade Tree and Salt Wagon clinics. These student-run clinics provide free, high-quality care to the Nashville community, while developing a generation of socially minded medical practitioners.
“I think that, for the challenges the pandemic has had for all of us, and especially the mental strain that this has had on our medical community, it’s good to still just get together and be able to do something silly and laugh, and have fun,” reflected Jack Wong, MVSA staff advisor. “And maybe do a little good with that as well.”
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the MVA bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research in three primary areas—community engagement, interprofessional education and research—by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the communities they serve. Through community engagement, the MVA serves a large community of stakeholders including surrounding universities and colleges, community organizations, faith-based outlets and community health centers. Its interprofessional education enhances students' interdisciplinary understanding and improves patient outcomes through integrated care. The research conducted provides access to experienced grant writers and materials supporting the grant application process and facilitates grant-writing workshops.