by Jennifer Kowalewski

Sixty-five middle and high school students with interests in health-care fields will have a chance to learn more about careers in them at the Health Exposition Saturday, Nov. 19 at Grover Center.

From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the seventh and eighth graders in the Science and Health Careers Club and Upward Bound students will explore a variety of health-care areas. The program is sponsored by the Center for Excellence for Multicultural Medicine, College of Health and Human Services, Community Service Programs, O’Bleness Memorial Hospital, the Ohio University Upward Bound Program and Marietta College.

“This program is very important,” says Ingrid Auguste-Keesey, interim precollege coordinator for the Health Careers Opportunity Program and the Center for Excellence for Multicultural Medicine. “The goal of the program is to encourage students who may be the first in their families to attend college.”

Auguste-Keesey says students will visit health career displays upon arrival. She says some of the displays will be interactive or hands-on.

After that, they will participate in an exercise physiology presentation and a tour of Community Service Programs’ Mobile Health Unit. Then they will hear Kathy Trace, director of CSP, talk about health issues facing adolescents.

After lunch, students will participate in sessions about cultural competency, dietetics and hearing.

The cultural competency session, says Auguste-Kessey, will show students the importance of possessing understanding and knowledge of people from various cultural and social backgrounds. “Cultural competency,” she says, “is almost a requirement for today’s physicians. This is something these young students can begin to learn now, long before they become health-care professionals.”

All middle school students attending the Health Exposition have a real interest in a health related field. Auguste-Keesey says the Science and Health Careers Club at their schools help students with math, science and cultural competency.

Another club outing — to O’Bleness Memorial Hospital — will occur in April.

“Our activities expose them to health career opportunities,” she says. “We follow them through high school and encourage them to participate in Upward Bound starting at tenth grade. Our goal is to get them into college and to pursue a health career major. For the center, it is a long-term investment with these students. These students may attend OU or OU-COM in the future. One day they may serve as physicians in Southeastern Ohio.”

Participating middle schools include Alexander Junior High, Meigs Middle School, Trimble Middle School and Vinton Junior High School.