New ventures in health

New Ventures in Health
by: Debbie Ramey, Director of Health Careers and Minority Affairs, EAHEC

Table of Contents

Director's Corner

Looking Toward the Future

Adventure in Excellence

Rural Health Scholars

A Dose of Leadership Training

Staff Notes

About the ECU Generalist

ECU Generalist Archive

Main Menu

"It is our hope

that we

inspire

these young

people to

pursue a

health career

and return to

their rural

community

to practice."

Debbie Ramey, EAHEC

A group of our region's top minority high school students were participants in this year's "Ventures Into Health Careers Institute," a summer residential camp on the East Carolina University campus. Twenty rising freshmen and sophomores from ten different counties received first-hand experience in what it's like to be a doctor, a nurse or even a physical therapist.

Originating in 1994, the Ventures into Health Careers Institute is sponsored by the Eastern Area Health Education Center (EAHEC). In eastern North Carolina, where there is a significant minority population, the need for minority health practitioners was the catalyst for EAHEC to begin the institute.

Through a competive application process, 20 students were selected from 165 applicants for the 1997 camp. All were considered to be among the brightest in their class and nearly all have decided on a health care career. The ventures program is open to Black, Hispanic, and Native American students.

The students attend classes in math and science, reading and writing, academic skills building, and professional development during their two week stay on campus. The purpose of these classes is to help learners see the connection between what they're doing in the

classroom and the impact it has on their future as health professionals. In addition to class work, the ninth and tenth grade students participate in clinical rotations at Pitt County Memorial Hospital where they get a behind-the-scenes look at health care providers hard at work. If they understand what it takes to be a health professional, then they can make good decisions in high school about their academic curriculum.

Upon completion of the summer enrichment course a minimum of four follow-up sessions are sponsored by Eastern AHEC with support from the Generalist Physician Program at ECU. These sessions build upon the enrichment experiences of the summer "Ventures" and continue to address critical academic preparation skills throughout their high school experience. At present four groups of students have attended Ventures.

Students are taught by well trained, dedicated, and enthusiastic minority and non-minority faculty who maintain high expectations of these learners while adjusting to the individual's own academic needs. The faculty encourage career aspirations, and have demonstrated an outstanding ability to work with these young people. Ventures provides for the development of a peer support group for these students that has been shown effective in improving student achievement and persistence in the mathematical and scientific fields leading to health careers.