Building community through movement

For Daniel Yang, there’s nothing like being outside with friends on a sunny day, playing soccer barefoot on the grass or hiking one of Durham’s numerous trails. The specific activity doesn’t matter; he simply enjoys moving and the physical and mental benefits that come with it. He wants the same for others, including his future patients and his peers in the health professions. This passion for movement has shaped both his decision to pursue a career in medicine and his deep investment in an organization focused on student wellness.

From personal passion to shared purpose

Yang, a third-year medical student, is president of Duke Medicine in Motion. The student organization provides events centered on physical activity and wellness for students across Duke University School of Medicine’s health professions programs and the School of Nursing.

In this role, Yang and fellow leaders create fun, inclusive opportunities for movement for students of all abilities, ranging from surfing and rock climbing to salsa dancing, running, and cooking classes. They have also partnered with local businesses to offer experiences such as American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses.

A central goal of Medicine in Motion is to reduce burnout and foster belonging, which Yang said can make a huge difference in the lives of students navigating the stress that comes with pursuing degrees in health and medicine.

“We understand there's a lot of burnout within these health professional graduate spaces,” Yang said. “We want to use motion and fitness to help promote wellness and reduce the burnout that people so often experience.”

Yang’s interest in this work began as an undergraduate at Boston College, where he became a personal trainer. That experience sparked his interest in medicine and in the powerful effects of physical activity on both mind and body.

“It really exposed me to how much health and fitness can impact someone's quality of life, not only physically, but also mentally,” he said.  

As an undergraduate, he later explored those ideas through research on quality-of-life outcomes in patients with blood cancer. Now at Duke, he is continuing this work in addition to studying how exercise therapy may improve outcomes for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), working alongside mentors in the field.

He hopes to go into internal medicine with interests in hematology-oncology and cardiology, continuing to focus on similar research.

“This drive for both trainee and patient wellness and quality of life has motivated me to go into specialties where the focus is on outcomes, quality of life, and longitudinal well-being,” he said.

Building belonging across health professions

For now, Yang enjoys making an impact through Medicine in Motion, a nonprofit student organization founded by Yang’s predecessor and mentor, Trevor Sytsma, MD, who is now an anesthesia resident at Duke. Building upon Sytsma’s efforts and vision, Yang has taken action to grow the organization both in scope and participation. He said he’s especially proud to work with a creative, motivated leadership team that is as passionate about planning events centered on student wellness as he is.

During the 2025-2026 academic year, Medicine in Motion hosted 44 events that attracted more than 1,100 attendees. Through these events, the leaders hope to strengthen community and connection across Duke’s health professions and nursing programs.

Yang said interprofessional connection is important. Building relationships among medical, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, and nursing students early in their training, he said, helps prepare them to work as effective teams in clinical settings.

Flagship event brings students together

Medicine in Motion’s largest event is its annual Field Day. Each May, students, along with friends and family, gather for a full day of friendly competition and a break from academic demands. Events include pickleball, flag football, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, and lawn games, such as cornhole and giant Jenga. 

The event has grown significantly since its launch in 2022, when it drew 80 participants. By 2025, attendance had increased to 140. This year’s Field Day, held May 16 and overseen by second-year medical student Megan Zhao, attracted 204 students. Its growth has been fueled in part by a merger Yang helped facilitate between Field Day and the School of Medicine’s Dean’s Olympics, now a yearly tradition.

While bonding with fellow students during three-legged races or a game of tug-of-war is undeniably fun, Yang said the prizes are also one of Field Day’s biggest draws. Prizes include gift cards from local businesses, such as Topgolf, Happy and Hale, Guglhupf Bakery & Restaurant, Ideal’s Deli, Brecotea, Nanasteak, and area fitness studios. This year, organizers secured more than $700 in gift cards through community partnerships — an example of the relationships that have helped expand the event’s reach.

Mentorship on and off the trail

Medicine in Motion also creates space for mentorship. One such event, the biannual “Tips on the Trail,” pairs upper-class health professional students with junior learners for informal guidance. During group hikes on local trails, participants share advice and experiences in a relaxed setting where hierarchies fade and conversations flow more easily.

This April, the Office of Student Affairs named Medicine in Motion the Duke Student Organization of the Year. Also, the School of Medicine recognized Yang for his work with Medicine in Motion and other community service activities by honoring him with a Michelle P. Winn Inclusive Excellence Award. Still, he is quick to share the credit.

“It's not my award alone,” he said. “It's truly the culmination of the passion and the dedication of all of the team members.” Within his leadership team, Yang has collaborated extensively with Natasha Anders and Ryan Fishman, two second-year medical students who will succeed him as copresidents next year.

In the end, Yang hopes the movement he’s building extends far beyond the field or trail — making a difference in the way future clinicians support one another and care for their patients.