VCU news

By Leha Byrd

Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center’s community program “From Jump Rope To Stethoscope” marks its 10th year this week with a celebration.

FJR2S is a pipeline program for health careers and is operated by VCU Medical Center’s Department of Workforce Development and Strategy. The program has educated more than 4,500 middle and high school students about careers in health care through in-house and community efforts.

Media is invited to attend a celebration from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., July 16, in the Rotunda at the Science Museum of Virginia. Students who participated in FJR2S will speak at the event about where they are now and how the program assisted them in selecting a career path.

One of FJR2S’s flagships and most enduring programs is the Mary Elizabeth Mahoney Health Career Camp, named for the first African-American nurse in the United States. The camp provides a week’s worth of educational opportunities and hands-on experiences for rising seventh, eighth and ninth grade students who want to explore nursing as a potential career.

FJR2S is also the conduit to the Boy Scouts of America’s “Learning for Life” program, which is offered to high school students, male and female, ages 14 to 18, who are interested in learning more about health care careers. Additionally, each year, FJR2S offers a for-credit course in health care at a designated high-risk middle school within the Richmond Public School system. The class includes lectures, a hospital tour and hands-on demonstrations of medical/nursing skills.