Health Careers
Opportunity Program sponsors 2004 Science and Health Careers Fair at
Grover Center Saturday, Nov. 13
by
Tara Beverly
A
fun, horizon-broadening educational event that will
expose disadvantaged young people to career
opportunities in the health and science fields takes
place Saturday, Nov. 13. OU-COM’s Health Careers
Opportunity Program will sponsor the event, entitled
“Health-Care Professions and the Cycle of Life.” The
fair is for middle-school students who are members
of the HCOP’s Science and Health Careers Club. The
fair will be held in Grover Center from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m.
The
Science and Health Careers Club is an academic
year-long program for seventh- and eighth-grade
students interested in health-care careers. The
program currently has students from Vinton County
Junior High School, Meigs Middle School, Alexander
Junior High School and Trimble Middle School. This
year 58 students were chosen to participate in the
club. The members of the club explore many areas
relating to science and health care. Members also
learn about the importance of developing cultural
competency as health-care professionals, job
shadowing and preparation for college.
In
the morning students will be able to talk with
professionals from nursing, pediatrics, geriatrics,
osteopathic medicine, mental health, community
health and other medical sciences about developing
careers.
Throughout the day
there will be hands-on labs, including fun activities involving
fitness, hearing and speech. OU-COM students from the Pediatrics
Club, Student Osteopathic Medical Association and Geriatrics Club
will be working with the middle-school students during the fair.
Staff from the Upward Bound college preparatory program and the
College of Health and Human Services will also be involved in the
day’s activities.
Elizabeth Minor,
director of HCOP, is very excited about the event.
“Our
2004 Science and Health Careers
Fair is an opportunity for middle-school
students in our region to learn about careers in health-care
professions. So often students have no idea of what careers are out
there, let alone what interests them. It is important for them to
begin to get exposure in their early years, to help them develop
career goals for the future,” says Minor.
For more information
about the fair or other programs focused on local middle and high
school students, please contact Denise Hughes-Tafen, at (740)
593-0917.
OU-COM’s HCOP and
Center of Excellence programs support disadvantaged and
underrepresented minority students with career goals in the
health–care fields by providing academic year and summer programs
designed to improve student access and success. The COE also
provides a support structure for underrepresented minority medical
students, faculty and administrators at OU–COM. Additionally, it
promotes diversity and cultural competency among medical students,
faculty and staff, and within the curricula and institutional
research. HCOP also sponsors a variety of programs including Summer
Institute, Dayton Consortium, Summer Enrichment, Program ExCEL and
Summer Scholars.
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