VCU news

By Eliza Winston

Ninety-four local high school students experienced life as medical professionals on Friday at VCU Medical Center.

VCU Medical Center’s Injury & Violence Prevention Program (IVPP) hosted the students, who were from Cosby, John Marshall and Richmond Community high schools.

“The students get to see what a day in the life of a health care professional is really like,” said Stephanie Smith, community coordinator of IVPP. “This event is truly a great experience for students interested in a medical career.”

The participating students are taking the Health Sciences Academy Health Careers Exploration Course. During the day’s events, they shadowed health care workers and gained exposure to different disciplines and various roles within the medical profession, visiting the Medical Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit and the Emergency Department, among others.

This is the third year that IVPP has participated in the health science education course. Students learned more about the importance of injury prevention and received an overview of the Trauma Center.

The Health Sciences Academy helps high school students make informed choices about the health professions they wish to pursue while providing resources to achieve their career goals. The program is sponsored by the Division of Health Sciences Diversity and the Division of Community Engagement.

 

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