Summer C.A.M.P.
Future medical professionals explore Purdue HHS
Story by Chris Adam, photos by Rebecca Wilcox
For more information about C.A.M.P., visit www.purdue.edu/hhs/CAMP/
When Allison Winchester traveled to Purdue University from Puerto Rico for a new summer camp, she already knew she wanted to work in healthcare. What she didn’t know was how the experience would solidify her decision.
Winchester was among the 27 high school students who came to Purdue in July for CAMP, Clinical Applications for Future Medical Professionals. The new camp, offered by the College of Health and Human Sciences in partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine-West Lafayette, targets high school seniors and juniors interested in healthcare-related majors and careers.
“I would highly recommend the camp to any student interested in the medical or health sciences fields,” Winchester says. “You gain hands-on experiences so you can actually know that these are the careers for you.”
Students participated in more than a dozen hands-on learning activities with more than 20 faculty members. Winchester says projects such as heart dissections and medical simulations were her favorites during the camp.
Christine Ladisch, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, says, “Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, and students are able to explore majors and healthcare opportunities they may not be aware of.”
The camp also introduced high school students to a variety of undergraduate majors that can prepare students for medical or professional school. The HHS units health sciences, health and kinesiology, psychological sciences, nursing, nutrition science, and speech, language, and hearing sciences all participated to highlight how various healthcare professions work together.
“I have been doing research online about different healthcare careers,” says Leroy Medrano, a high school senior from Boswell, Indiana, who attended the camp. “You can only learn so much on the computer, so this was an eye-opening experience. It was mind-blowing.”
High school student Leroy Medrano works with a medical simulation mannequin or “sim man” during an activity at the Clinical Applications for Medical Professionals camp.
Ladisch and administrators from the IU School of Medicine say programs such as the camp are a direct outcome of the many synergies provided by the new Lyles-Porter Hall. IU has had medical students on Purdue’s campus since 1968 and the Indiana University School of Medicine-West Lafayette, now located in Lyles-Porter Hall, is a regional campus of the IU School of Medicine. The building, which was dedicated in 2014, provides additional space to grow the partnership between Purdue and IU.
“CAMP is the latest new partnership that develops a culture of cooperation in promoting the patient-centered combination of excellent clinical skills and compassionate interpersonal care that we all hope to find in our future healthcare providers,” says Dr. Regina K. Kreisle, associate dean of the IU School of Medicine and director of the IU School of Medicine-West Lafayette.
Supplies for students were provided by the North Central Indiana Area Health Education Center. More information can be found at www.purdue.edu/hhs/CAMP and questions about CAMP can be directed to gipsonj@purdue.edu.
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