High school students interested in becoming registered nurses, physicians, occupational therapists or any number of occupations in the medical profession participated in Camp Med 2022 Summer Program provided by Caldwell UNC Health Care and the Northwest Area Health Education Center, an initiative of the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

“Camp Med is a great opportunity to expose students to the world of possibilities in health careers,” said Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps. “We want our students to apply these experiences to their education whenever they make decisions about course selection, club participation or community involvement so they will be better prepared for reaching their career goals after high school graduation.”

The program provided a range of unique educational experiences in the healthcare workforce, from meeting practitioners to observing state-of-the-art technology to touring healthcare facilities and learning about the services provided to patients. Participants also explored different medical career pathways, including pharmacy, surgical services, diabetic health, anesthesiology, diagnostic imaging and behavioral health.

Highlights of the program involved clinical rounds and observing medical procedures. "I really liked getting to experience what surgeons and anesthesiologists do,” said Emilee Bradley, a sophomore at Hibriten High School “I loved seeing gall bladder surgery performed. It was exciting! I especially liked scrubbing in and wearing scrubs in the operating room like an actual medical professional."

As a culminating event, a graduation ceremony was held and students received certificates of completion. Each student spoke on how the program affected or influenced his or her future career decisions.

Only rising freshmen, sophomores or juniors meeting specific academic performance in addition to having career goals in health sciences were selected to participate in the weeklong summer camp, which has been offered to Caldwell County Schools students for more than a decade.

Christina Good, Human Resource executive for Caldwell UNC Healthcare, led Camp Med ’22 in Caldwell County and overall, 18 camps were held this summer in North Carolina.

Join us for Meet the Health Professionals Live Webinar Series where students can network with and ask questions of professionals in the healthcare workforce.

During the summer of 2021, Alan Morales, 17, completed Northwest AHEC Camp Med, an educational summer program geared at exposing students to the varied career opportunities in the health care field which also introduces them to basic skills such as the Heimlich maneuver, CPR and how to tie a tourniquet.

Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) is gearing up for another fun and informative virtual Camp Med this summer. Last year’s camp hosted more than 600 participants from North Carolina and beyond. This year the self-paced camp will be available again to students in grades 8 to 12, from June 1 through July 31.

Camp Med 2022 Summer Program is a great way to expose students to the world of possibilities in health careers. Now more than ever the need for talented healthcare workforce is a necessity. Students will be exposed to the stimulating world of working in healthcare, reflect on social determinants of health.

We were delighted to speak with Dr. Erin Saner on our Healthcare Insights Podcast and discuss her background with Northwest AHEC Health Careers which helped lead her into becoming a Medical Doctor and Assistant Instructor of Family & Community Medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist.

Winston-Salem State University's School of Health Sciences (SOHS) and Northwest Area Health Education Center (NWAHEC) of Wake Forest University School of Medicine partnered to honor individuals who have made a positive impact on the health and wellness of the residents of East Winston during the Annual Healthcare Legends of East Winston event on Wednesday, October 20.

Wake Forest School of Medicine and Northwest Area Health Education Center (AHEC) just wrapped up Camp Med 2021. It was such a fun and educational experience with the best of both worlds with in-person Camp Med resuming in some counties and virtual Camp Med available to all as well! With 600+ participants enrolled across the Northwest AHEC region, North Carolina, and beyond it was a huge success.

JEFFERSON, N.C. ¬¬— Ashe County High School students gained valuable insight into the healthcare field during Ashe Memorial Hospital’s Camp Med Summer Program July 12-16, 2021.