Students visit hospital as part of camp

Twelve rising ninth-grade students from the Piedmont Triad region to Charlotte will participate in Camp YEHS! (Youth Exploring Health Sciences) now through July 22 at Winston-Salem State University, and visit Rowan Regional Medical Center on Monday, July 18.

The two-week summer enrichment program is designed to educate, prepare and enhance students’ academic qualifications for health science careers and to increase education and awareness of health disparities among populations being served.

The program includes sessions on a variety of health-related topics, tours of medical facilities, career sessions and a post-mentorship experience. Participants also have an opportunity to shadow a health care professional as part of the educational opportunity aimed at increasing the number of people of color entering heath science careers in the future.

“This program was designed specifically to reach students who are performing well in middle school and who would have an interest in exploring careers in the health sciences, but would not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in such a program,” said Marian Skinner, director of the program.

“Camp YEHS! can certainly make a difference in the numbers of underrepresented groups entering the health sciences fields which can have a positive impact on the overall delivery of healthcare. We are, for example, including a health disparity component to the program this year that will include presentations on diabetes, strokes, obesity and HIV/AIDS.”

Camp YEHS! is a collaborative effort by the Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities and the School of Health Sciences at WSSU. The program is free for the students and is supported by a grant from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.