Summer program provides high school students up-close look at health careers

Pooja Naik (left), 17, and Namrata Gopinath, 16, both of Bentonville, wash their hands Friday before entering an operating room at Mercy Hospital in Rogers.
Pooja Naik (left), 17, and Namrata Gopinath, 16, both of Bentonville, wash their hands Friday before entering an operating room at Mercy Hospital in Rogers.

ROGERS -- Jim Cavness had thoughts of pursuing a career as a surgical oncologist. His first opportunity to observe a real surgery up close Friday only strengthened his resolve.

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Debbie Bollinger (right), registered nurse, speaks Friday with students at Mercy Hospital in Rogers. The students were participating in the UAMS Medical Application of Science for Health summer program, which introduces high school students to the world of medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry and allied health through hands-on projects, job shadowing and interactions with a range of health professions.

photo

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Debbie Bollinger (left), registered nurse, helps Pooja Naik, 17, of Bentonville, on Friday with a radiology apron before entering an operating room at Mercy Hospital in Rogers.

Cavness, 17, is one of 10 students enrolled in the Medical Application of Science for Health summer program -- also known as MASH -- at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.

Participants

The Medical Application of Science for Health program at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas started Monday and runs through next week. The students enrolled include:

• Jim Cavness, Bentonville High School

• Taylor Cheung-Damonte, Bentonville High School

• Namrata Gopinath, Bentonville High School

• Leah Kyles, Rogers High School

• Beatriz Melchor, Heritage High School

• Claudia Mellor, Bentonville High School

• Pooja Naik, Bentonville High School

• Rachna Paruchuri, Bentonville High School

• Abigail Rose, Providence Academy

• Michael Zheng, Rogers High School

Source: Staff report

The two-week program, developed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, introduces high school juniors and seniors to the real world of medicine through hands-on activities, job shadowing and interactions with a range of health professions. It is offered at more than 30 medical facilities across the state each year.

Officials hope the program will encourage more students to pursue a career in the health professions, where demand for workers is high.

"We want as many people as possible to go into health care," said Michele Villines, senior human resources manager and coordinator of Mercy Hospital's MASH program.

Cavness watched doctors amputate a patient's toe Friday. The rest of the students got to see other kinds of surgical procedures.

"I learned the kind of environment you get into if you go into surgery," he said. "Not only how the patient enters, but also how the surgeon and other staff enters and treats the patient. They respect them and show them gratitude for choosing this hospital."

Cavness, who will be a senior this fall at Bentonville High School, was inspired to pursue surgical oncology after observing his father's experience being treated for cancer. His first chance to step inside an operating room "definitely fueled my passion," Cavness said.

Registered nurse Debbie Bollinger gave the students a tour of the surgery department and perioperative wing -- from the office where surgeries are scheduled to the operating rooms. Everyone had to put on scrubs before they could enter the department.

During other parts of the program, students learn about such things as nursing specialties, diagnostic imaging and the pharmacy field. They take field trips to the university and different clinics. One activity had them putting casts on each other.

"Medicine is so much more than I thought it was," said Leah Kyles, a senior at Rogers High School. "I've met a lot of people who are really passionate about their work."

This is the third year Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas has hosted the program, but it's been offered elsewhere in the state for nearly 30 years, said Ana Sanchez, a pre-health recruiter at the university who oversees the programs in Rogers, Fayetteville and Harrison.

Sanchez estimated about 75 percent of students who have gone through the program in Northwest Arkansas have gone on to pursue a career in the health field since she started running the program in 2008.

"Students learn by seeing what professionals do so they'll see what their daily life is like, professionally speaking," Sanchez said.

Even if the experience leads participants to decide the medical field is not for them, the program has served a purpose by steering them in a different direction, she said.

There is no cost to the students, but there is a rigorous application process. Students must have taken a course in biology, have a 4.0 grade point average, and must submit an essay and teacher recommendations. Applications typically are due the first week of April, Villines said.

There were 55 applications for the 10 spots at the Rogers site this year. Mercy Hospital hopes to expand its program capacity in future years, Villines said.

The Farm Bureau of Arkansas supports the program financially. Mercy Hospital receives $200 per student enrolled from the Farm Bureau, which pays for food and transportation, Villines said.

Jennifer Victory, a rural health specialist for the Farm Bureau, stated in a recent Farm Bureau news release a large number of the camps are held at rural medical centers and attract students with a rural background.

"The idea is that future medical students from a rural background are more likely to return to their roots," Victory stated in the release.

NW News on 07/02/2016

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