HEALTH CAREERS AWARENESS CAMP

The Southeast Kentucky Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and the University of Kentucky (UK) Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) hosted the annual Summer Health Careers Enrichment Camp June 12-25, 2013.  The camp, which is a joint project between the two organizations, brings together ninth and tenth graders from Perry and surrounding counties for a two-week camp aimed at enhancing students’ interest in health care careers.

The camp began in 2008 and has helped guide more than 120 area high school students toward fulfilling health care careers, while also working to address the shortage of health care providers in the region.

“The UK and AHEC camp is an amazing opportunity for area students to gain valuable experience and instruction in the growing and changing field of health care,” said LeeAnn Helton, UK CERH student services officer.

During the two-week camp, the students have the opportunity to shadow health care professionals at work, participate in laboratory activities like DNA analysis and blood typing, learn fundamentals of critical thinking and test-taking skills, and conduct and present a research project to a panel of UK CERH researchers, faculty, and staff.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime formative experience for many of our students, and can be very integral in helping prepare them for a fulfilling and productive future,” added Helton.

In addition to the camp activities held at the UK CERH, students also traveled to Lexington to tour some of UK’s medical education facilities and remotely observed a live surgery.  An awards banquet was held at Hazard Community and Technical College on June 25to recognize the students’ completion of the camp.

For more information about the annual UK and AHEC Summer Health Careers Enrichment Camp, contact LeeAnn Helton at leeann.helton@uky.edu, or Crystal Pigman at cpigman0002@kctcs.edu.