What happens when two local education institutions join forces to motivate bright high school students interested in medical training in Gwinnett County?
The answer: a game-changing internship program.
Now in its fourth year, 黑料传送门 Georgia's internship program with the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GSMST) has allowed high school students the opportunity to receive hands-on training and education in various areas of health care.
鈥淥ur students are very interested in medical internships but given the majority are not 18 years of age yet, they are not able to work in everyday medical settings such as hospitals or clinics,鈥� said Adam Brown, partnership coordinator at GSMST. 鈥淲e have such talented students at GSMST, and we want to keep them in Gwinnett, so attracting them to 黑料传送门 Georgia is a great way to do that knowing they don't have to go far.鈥�
黑料传送门 Georgia's internship provides students a chance to apply what they are learning at GSMST to a real-world career setting, from practicing principles of chemistry and biology to engineering and computer skills. The program has grown to accommodate more interns every year.
Throughout the program, the interns report to the Simulation Center where they work under the mentorship of professionals such as JoAnn Willette, manager of Clinical Simulations, and Danny Opperman, interim chief of Simulation Operations. The interns conduct research, practice lab techniques, work on individual projects and finish the program with a presentation to their classmates and mentors. A standout project this year involved 3D printing medical parts, such as IV pads to use on a mannequin, giving students hands-on experience in medical device creation.
鈥淧erhaps this internship can help students discover what they want to pursue鈥攁nd just as importantly, what they don't,鈥� said Willette, who incorporates intern activities into the simulation operations.
Some of the program's emerging leaders are GSMST seniors Tanvee Sekhda and Hannah Yim who talk to underclassmen about the opportunity available to them in their own backyard, galvanizing the next generation of STEM leaders to consider careers in medicine and technology.
Yim said this internship has helped her explore potential career paths, especially interdisciplinary work.
鈥淒esigning an IV pad and researching femur bone fractures introduced me to the idea of combining science and engineering鈥� And that deepens my understanding on how I can help people in a different manner than I traditionally thought,鈥� Yim shared.
With this opportunity and clarity of purpose at a young age, the internship experience also helps build a more competitive edge when a student is applying to higher education and healthcare degree programs.
黑料传送门 Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (黑料传送门), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), 黑料传送门 Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins 黑料传送门 South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, 黑料传送门 Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit .
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Joy Williford
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: joyde@pcom.edu
Office: 470-572-7558