High School Students get “Hands On” with Healthcare
By April Russell
Do you remember being a high school student trying to decide what the next step would be in your education or career?
Did you ever consider pursing a career in the healthcare industry but were unsure if it was really something you wanted to do?
For high school students in the Texarkana area, two programs offered by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences can help make that decision a little easier, or at least provide some helpful experience to guide their choice.
Bradi Kelley, a Health Careers Recruiter at UAMS, coordinates the M.A.S.H and Hands on Health programs for the Texarkana area, both of which give local high school students the opportunity to experience what a career in healthcare might really look like.
The M.A.S.H., or Medical Applications of Science for Healthcare, program runs for two weeks each summer and is open to 10th- and 11th-grade students at all Texarkana high schools who meet the minimum requirements and pass the application process. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to qualify, and are awarded points based on their written applications. Points are awarded for extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, a written essay, and even neatness of the application. Although many students apply each year – anywhere between 65-100 applicants, according to Bradi – just 16 students are accepted to the summer program.
For students who may not qualify for M.A.S.H or are not able to participate for other reasons, the more condensed Hands on Healthcare program offers a monthly option that is open to all high school students, with no limit on the number of participants.
Unlike M.A.S.H., which is an annual program, Hands on Healthcare happens at least once a month at each area high school. The program is open to any 9th through 12-grade student with a minimum 2.5 GPA, and although each group is limited to 25 students, there is currently no limit to the number of programs that can run each month.
In the Hands on Healthcare program, students spend the day exploring various aspects of the healthcare industry through hands-on activities such as suturing, intubation, and blood pressure testing, while listening to local healthcare professionals speak about their experiences.
Students who participate in the summer M.A.S.H. program take part in many of the same exercises, with many more activities spread out over the two weeks. M.A.S.H. participants practicing suturing – or stitching – on a pig’s foot, dissect a cow’s heart under supervision of a local pathologist, take part in a mock trauma event with LifeNet, view a surgery during a tour of a local hospital Operating Room, experience compounding with a pharmacist, practice wound care with nursing students from Texarkana College, and much more. After the program, Bradi often helps students continue their experience by helping set them up with local professionals as mentors.
Bradi, who has been in charge of the M.A.S.H. and Hands on Healthcare programs for more than 5 years, says the programs are an excellent way to open students’ eyes to what the healthcare industry is all about.
“We really want to expose the students to things they have never been exposed to,” she said. “And we want to help them figure out what they want to do.
Many students who come into the programs already have some interest in a healthcare career, though they may not know exactly what specialty they would prefer. Others are not quite sure if healthcare is right for them at all. According to Bradi, both M.A.S.H. and Hands on Healthcare great opportunities to guide the students in their decision-making process and put them on the right path towards achieving their goals.
During her years over the programs, Bradi has seen many students go on to nursing or medical school. She stays in contact with many of her former students through the program’s Facebook page, and she encourages the students to stay connected to each other as well. Parents can watch their child’s progress during the program by following the Facebook page as well.
Both M.A.S.H. and Hands on Health are free for local high school students in Texarkana. Sophomores and Juniors with a 3.0 GPA or higher can apply for M.A.S.H. starting in January, with applications due mid-March. Hands on Health runs monthly at each school, and interested students and parents can get more information by contacting Bradi Kelley at [email protected].
What M.A.S.H. graduates have to say
“I already knew I wanted to go into the medical field as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, and later a Chief Nurse Executive, but the MASH program introduced different pathways of getting there.” -Deandra Rose, Atlanta High School, Senior
“The most interesting part of MASH for me was the ER exercise. It was pretty realistic, and seeing the steps from helicopter to the ER room, and the process the doctors go through was something that I really got a lot out of.” -Jace Ryan, Pleasant Grove High School, Senior
“We saw different aspects of the medical field, such as phlebotomy, physical therapy, and even a vet performing surgery, but I’d have to say my favorite part was the doctors coming in and showing us how to suture!” -Jorge Rodriguez, Pleasant Grove High School, Senior
“I have always had a huge interest in trauma, and anything involved with helping people out.MASH was a huge way for me to not only learn of the different careers involving that but also to witness them first hand.” -Colton Wiley, Atlanta High School, Junior
