by Jennifer Kowalewski

Students at Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in Dayton look forward to their junior year when they go on a “health-career and college field trip.” These students, who came to Ohio University Sunday, April 9, and will stay through Friday, April 14, are participants in the three-year program Ohio University Health Career Access Network (OUHCAN) program. One of the main focuses of the week is to expose students to a variety of health-care fields so that they will be able to make informed decisions about the careers and colleges they choose, with the aim that Ohio University and OU-COM will be number ones on their list of undergraduate and graduate school choices.

“We have an outstanding relationship with Ohio University,” says Marcia Raglin, lead counselor at Dunbar. “This week is a highlight of the program. Our students get to the opportunity to see what college life is really like. I think this is an outstanding program.”

The 11 students in the OUHCAN program spending the week at the college have strong interests in health-care fields. The program is sponsored by the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP), which is part of the Center of Excellence for Multicultural Medicine.  HCOP has acted as a pipeline for students who are economically or educationally disadvantaged into colleges and health-care careers.

“Through the program and HCOP, students have learned about health-related careers,” says Ingrid Auguste-Keesey, interim pre-college and communications coordinator at the center. “They will come to campus and be exposed to our medical school as well. Hopefully, they will consider applying here one day.”

Auguste-Keesey says the students have four “jam-packed” days in which to get acquainted with the Athens campus and OU-COM. Among the activities in which they will participate is a panel discussion. The panel will consist of medical students as well as students who have participated in other college programs, such as Summer Enrichment and Post Baccalaureate, sharing  their experiences in HCOP and medical school. An Ohio University student who participated in the OUHCAN program also will be part of a panel.

Terrance Brown, assistant to the dean of the College of Health and Human Services, will make a presentation to the Dunbar students on health careers. Sharon Kousaleos, coordinator for academic skills instruction, Academic Advancement Center, will do a presentation on how to study smartly.  A representative of Upward Bound will instruct students how to test better on the ACT.

High schoolers involved in Cuyahoga Community College’s Upward Bound program will head to campus Monday, April 17, also to learn about educational opportunities at Ohio University. Orlando Jennings, pre-health education specialist in the center, will take those students interested in health-related careers on a tour of Grover and Grosvenor halls.

The high school students from the Cleveland area will only spend an afternoon on campus, unlike those from Dunbar, who will get a week to investigate what the university has to offer.

“Our goal is to introduce these Cuyahoga Upward Bound students to health-care careers,” Jennings says. “I also want them to think about Ohio University as a possibility when they begin considering higher education.”

Raglin says Dunbar recruits students into the program in their sophomore year if they meet certain criteria. Seniors get a chance to visit Kettering College of Medical Arts in Dayton.

But juniors look forward to the trip to Athens most.

“It gives our students an excellent opportunity to get a feel for a college campus,” Raglin says. “Also, it helps them decide if a career in a health-related field is right for them.”

During their time at OU-COM, students also learn more about medicine and health issues.

Kathy Trace, R.N., director of the Community Services Program (CSP), will talk with the students about CSP’s Mobile Health Units, which provide access to medical care for people in rural communities who do not have access to regular health care. Also, students will tour the gross anatomy labs, which are quite popular.

Auguste-Keesey says Suzanna Theodoras, R.N., will talk with the students about diabetes, a disease that could strike almost anyone at any time.

“All these lectures are a very important part of this visit,” Auguste-Keesey says.