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During the summer of 2020, Samantha Morales ’18 MHA helped launch a program to introduce high school students to possible careers in the healthcare field. Launched virtually during the height of the pandemic, the program was an overwhelming success. She’s looking forward to hosting the program again this summer – in person for the second year in a row.

One of the University’s many immersive summer youth programs, the Summer Health Professions Academy will offer students entering grades 10 through 12 in the upcoming academic year an opportunity to explore a variety of fields within healthcare, such as nutrition and dietetics, dental hygiene, and paramedicine. They will take part in a variety of hands-on activities including a “make friends, spread germs” disease-spread simulation that will help them understand and appreciate the importance of the work of public health professionals.

“This will give students a public health experience as they learn about germs safely while following COVID guidelines,” explains Prof. Morales, internship coordinator for the University’s School of Health Sciences and interim director of the Master of Healthcare Administration program. “They will learn what disease spread looks like and contextualize it with what we’ve seen with COVID.”

‘Focus on healthy eating’

Students will also dive deeper into the meaning behind certain buzzwords in healthcare such as “self-care” as they practice goat yoga at in Hamden, Conn., and “person-centered care” through a visit to . There, they will take part in a person-centered care scavenger hunt during which they will learn about how the hospital endeavors to offer patient-centered care through amenities such as a community garden and a medical library with information provided free of charge, as well as the hospital’s redesign that was intended to make the space feel therapeutic and non-clinical.

As part of the weeklong program offered from July 18 to 22, students will also learn from University of New Haven School of Health Sciences faculty and earn three college credits. They will design and implement their own fitness programs; learn how to take blood specimens and urine samples and assess the bacteria in them; and learn how to clean teeth. They will also learn how to administer an anesthetic using fruit, and they’ll explore the different phases of speech, learning how speech is acquired and how food plays a critical role in speech development. They will also take part in a hands-on nutrition and cooking demonstration.

“This will focus on healthy eating and how to prepare low-cost and healthy meals,” explains Prof. Morales. “This is especially important during this time of inflation, since it is critical to know how to go shopping and pick foods that are healthy.”

‘Replenish healthcare industry’

This year’s program will, for the first time, enable students to earn their mental health first aid certification. This will teach them how to navigate situations in which loved ones and peers might be struggling, including how to identify red flags and raise awareness of the importance of mental health while developing the skills needed to offer help and support to someone in crisis.

Students will also earn their CPR certification, something that sets the academy apart from most other youth summer medical programs in Connecticut.

Prof. Morales says the academy is particularly critical because the healthcare field has experienced a shortage of staff since the onset of the pandemic. There is a need for staff across all areas of healthcare, and she hopes the program will encourage more young people to explore careers in the field.

“It is important to recruit students to replenish the healthcare industry because we’re losing so many people,” she said. “That’s the number one reason why the program is so important, particularly for the local community. Local providers such as are hiring traveling nurses as well as physician’s assistants, doctors, and technicians, and we want to make sure we’re doing our part to recruit for the healthcare industry because it’s important.”

‘It has a lot of potential’

So far, the program has sparked an interest in the healthcare field for many participants. More than half of previous participants are now University of New Haven undergraduate students pursuing a health-related degree with an average GPA of 3.26.

After filling last year’s program, program organizers were excited to continue to expand the program and create opportunities for high school students to gain hands-on experience in healthcare. They received a Summer Enrichment grant of nearly $27,000 from the that will cover the program participation cost for students in need as well as transportation to and from the University.

“Since the outset of the pandemic, the healthcare workforce has really struggled to keep pace with demand," said Karl Minges, Ph.D., MPH, co-director of the grant and interim dean of the School of Health Sciences. "This summer experience will be one part of the solution by educating future health professions students about the opportunity, stability, and impact a career in healthcare can have on the world.”

Prof. Morales looks forward to working with students who might not otherwise be able to take part in the program.

“We’re reaching out and trying to generate interest in careers in healthcare, which is so important,” said Prof Morales. “We hope that with this grant, we can reach and include lower income students. I’m excited to see how the program will impact them and what the larger impact of the program will be. We’ve seen it has a lot of potential.”