Twenty-four high school students spent last week getting an up-close look at careers in healthcare through the annual Discovery Healthcare Camp.
Held from July 6 to 11 at Camp Klahanie, the program introduced students to a broad range of professions, including nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, health policy, and several other healthcare fields. The camp was led by three medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
The Discovery Healthcare Camp has now been offered for five consecutive years through a partnership between Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH), Huron Health System and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Camp Klahanie, which serves as the host site, is made available through the generosity of the Goderich Lions Club.
Throughout the week, participants met with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other healthcare professionals who shared details about their daily responsibilities, educational journeys and experiences working in rural communities.
Students also took part in a variety of hands-on learning opportunities designed to simulate real clinical situations. Activities included practising suturing techniques, applying casts and participating in a childbirth simulation, giving campers a chance to experience some of the practical skills used in healthcare.
One participant said the interactive nature of the camp stood out most.
“My favourite part of the camp was the hands-on learning," the student explained. "With this camp, we were able to do a bunch of things like suturing teddy bears, injecting oranges, and had the opportunity to go to a hospital.”
Organizers pointed out that the camp is intended to help students, particularly those living in rural communities, overcome barriers that can make healthcare careers seem difficult to achieve. Limited access to mentors, financial challenges and uncertainty about educational pathways can all discourage young people from pursuing careers in the field.
The Gateway CERH initiative is also part of a long-term strategy to address healthcare workforce shortages by encouraging local youth to consider careers that could eventually bring them back to serve their own communities.
Camp leader and second-year medical student Julia Sawicka believes exposing students to the many different professions within healthcare can have a lasting influence.
“Having an experience like this camp allows the students to experience all types of healthcare careers beyond just doctors and nurses," said Sawicka. "It is so influential for them to hear about the day-to-day lifestyle of these careers and this camp will shape their choices in their future career”
Gateway CERH also recognized the sponsors whose ongoing financial support helps make the camp possible each year, allowing local students to participate and helping build the future healthcare workforce in rural Ontario.
Founded in 2008, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and community engagement.
