Central Florida high school students recently gained a week of hands-on health science experience at the Health Leaders Summer Academy (HLSA) held at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.
HLSA spans multiple campuses and professional schools, including UCF’s College of Health Professions Sciences, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, UCF Downtown and the Orlando VA Medical Center, providing experiential learning for students interested in health-related careers.
The students visited the UCF School of Nursing where faculty and staff gave an interactive tour of the facility’s various simulation rooms. Students received training on how to stop bleeding in large wounds and also received presentations on various aspects of nursing, particularly its important role in healthcare and academia.
The UCF College of Health Professions Sciences gave presentations focusing on careers in various health-related science fields, including physical therapy, sports medicine and health sciences, giving students perspective on different career paths in health care.
On Wednesday, the HLSA received an overwhelming welcome from UCF’s Downtown Campus and the School of Global Health Management and Informatics. The themes of the presentations that day were: Marvel ComicsThe students, Marvel We created characters for presentations and interactive games to teach about public health.
“We want to help [students] We not only inspire them to dream big about their future careers, but also provide practical guidance on how to thrive in this upcoming school year.” —Tracy McIntosh, Associate Dean, Office of Access, Belonging, and Community Engagement
The students spent their final days at UCF School of Medicine learning how to perform CPR and practice life-saving techniques on a training model. They also learned how to properly apply a splint to an injured limb, perform ultrasounds on real people to examine the heart and abdominal organs, and handle computerized mannequins that UCF medical students use to learn to care for patients. They also observed robotic surgery at the VA and toured the SimLEARN Center, which uses simulation-based learning to train clinical staff.
The camp also provided guidance and mentoring on college preparation and applications, obtaining scholarships, study skills and time management.
Karin Bright, a Jones High School student who attended the Academy, wanted to be an obstetrician-gynecologist but wasn’t sure how to get there. The Academy changed that.
“This program helped me sort my mind out,” Bright said. “I didn’t know what undergraduate program to choose or how to get into medical school, and this program helped me get there.” [academy] It helped pave the way for college and the future.”
For Harmony High School student Mason Alderman, the opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of medical professionals helped him gain a deeper understanding of what each of their jobs entail.
“I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare but wasn’t sure what my specific role would be,” Alderman said. “Seeing all of these options was an eye-opener and helped me narrow down my options.”
With a continuing talent shortage in the health care industry, UCF’s summer camp is focused on helping students, particularly those from backgrounds underrepresented in the medical field, build careers in patient care and research.
“We’re very active in high school outreach, focusing on low-income high schools and creating opportunities for people who might not have them otherwise,” says Tracy McIntosh, associate dean of the School of Medicine’s Office of Access, Belonging and Community Engagement. “Many of these students are involved in their high school’s Pre-Health Professionals club, which develops future health professionals. We want to help them dream big about their future careers, but we also want to provide them with practical guidance on how to do well in the next school year and how to get into the college of their choice and start on the right path.”
The summer camp has limited spots and applications are tough. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have a strong interest in a medical career. This year, 68 students participated in the event, most of them from Osceola, Seminole and Orange counties.
McIntosh says she hears many students worry about the time investment in a medical career, but she offers a different perspective.
“How many people have their dream job at age 30? It takes expertise and time to master any profession,” she says. But if you start investing in yourself early, you can be the best version of yourself in medicine, science, research, medical innovation and public health, just like in any other field.”
Applications for next year’s Health Leaders Summer Academy will open in February 2025. Students interested in participating are encouraged to join health science and medical school-bound student groups on campus and explore volunteer opportunities in the local community. Learn more here.
