Gwinnett area high schoolers learned about human anatomy, preparing for college and various careers in medicine.
About 40 high school students, known as 鈥渕entees,鈥� energized the zoom rooms and halls of 黑料传送门 Georgia for the past two weeks as they learned about healthcare careers from physical therapist to pharmacist to veterinarian, in addition to such topics as professionalism, time management, financial literacy and college readiness.
A team of 黑料传送门 Georgia 鈥渕entors,鈥� students in the biomedical sciences, osteopathic medicine and pharmacy programs, provided leadership and guidance to the high schoolers, participants in the college鈥檚 free Summer Math and Science Academy. Each high school student painted a heart, made kombucha, dissected a sheep brain and made faux DNA from candy. They participated in simulation activities and visited the college鈥檚 anatomy lab. They also worked in teams to present on chosen conditions such as gestational diabetes, the Spanish flu, Marfan syndrome and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
At the academy commencement ceremony, students had the opportunity to reflect on their two-week experience. Crestard Falohun, a rising sophomore, at McClure Health Science High School, who is considering a career in anesthesiology or pharmacy, said his experience at camp had been 鈥渕ind blowing鈥� and noted, 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing there are adults here who care about us.鈥�
He said, 鈥淚 would definitely recommend this camp to other high school students. If they are potentially interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, this is a great place to start.鈥� He also found value in networking with students and medical professionals who are both in the field and still training.
鈥淥verall, this program gets high school students excited to pursue a career in the medical field as well as making it fun along the way.鈥�
Claire Dorcent, DO 鈥�21, a recent 黑料传送门 Georgia graduate and an OB/GYN resident at the Mayo Clinic who is credited with planting the seed for 黑料传送门 Georgia鈥檚 summer academy, delivered the keynote address at the graduation ceremony, which was also attended by campers鈥� family members.
A first generation Haitian American, she said, 鈥淓ven though the journey will be hard, don鈥檛 give up on yourself.鈥� She thanked the mentors, teachers and professors who 鈥減oured into me鈥� while she was a student and promised the mentees 鈥渨e are here to help you when times are rough.鈥�
鈥淵ou really are the future of America,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hatever you do, try not to compare yourself to others. Run your own race.鈥� She quoted a favorite saying, 鈥淎 mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.鈥�
The camp鈥檚 leadership team consisted of 黑料传送门 Georgia students Charles Ahweyevu, MS/Biomed 鈥�21, Arthur Few, PharmD 鈥�23, and India Chaney, DO 鈥�23 who met each week for a year to plan academy activities. Faculty leads were Adwoa Dansoa Aduonum, PhD, MSc, associate professor of physiology and neuroscience and the director of the interprofessional education program for the osteopathic medicine program, and Valerie E. Cadet, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology. Aisha DeBerry, JD, the executive director of diversity and community partnerships, provided support.
DeBerry said, 鈥淭his academy is truly a labor of love. Each year we are able to see the impact that the academy has on our high school students of color. When we talk about equity, this is what we are referring to 鈥� providing the opportunity for students of color to be exposed to healthcare professions early in their lives. These students are able to see what they can be and not what others say they should be.鈥�
Ahweyevu said, 鈥淭his opportunity was very fulfilling and eye opening. I was so touched by how much the students genuinely enjoyed the program. Seeing their eyes light up after a speaker's testimony or a lab made everything we did worth it.
鈥淚 loved that we focused on not just science and medicine, but also on how to stay motivated and find the confidence to chase your dreams. I am humbled to be a part of their journey.鈥�
Seeing joy on campers鈥� faces proved to be top moments for Few who said, 鈥淎s a lead mentor, the stress of planning such an event is rewarded when you see the students smile and respond with positive excitement about the activities and speakers they encounter.
鈥淚 truly hope that our mentees see that there are people who care and want to see them succeed, no matter what profession they choose. These are the moments that make academies like SMSA worth it.鈥�
According to Dr. Aduonum, a Ghanaian American, 鈥淚t is our duty to reach back and help those who are coming up behind us.鈥� She said that this philosophy refers to the 鈥淪ankofa,鈥� a metaphorical symbol used by the Akan people of Ghana, usually depicted as a bird with its head turned backward taking an egg from its back. The symbol points to the importance of reaching back to knowledge gained in the past, which is useful in order to make progress.
She added, 鈥淭his is what we strive to do for our students and future health professionals 鈥� bring them up and prepare them for the future.鈥�
Participants included rising tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students from such Gwinnett County high schools as Brookwood, Central Gwinnett, Collins Hill, Discovery, Greater Atlanta Christian, Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Lanier, McClure Health Science, North Gwinnett, Parkview, Paul Duke STEM, Shiloh and South Gwinnett. A home schooled student, as well as students from the Georgia Connections Academy, Midtown International School, Clayton, Cobb, Forsyth and Fulton county high schools also attended the camp.
The 黑料传送门 Office of Diversity and Community Partnerships provided funding, in addition to grants from the Jackson EMC Foundation and Hologic, Inc., a medical technology company largely focused on women鈥檚 health.
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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