Last month, 15 ninth-grade students from Benson High School’s Health Academy, an elective for students who are interested in the health professions, visited UNMC to meet with UNMC students and tour iEXCEL.
This was a new event for UNMC, said Liliana Bronner, PhD, director of medical pathways at the UNMC College of Medicine.
“Benson High School sends students to more than a dozen sites across the metro, but this was the first time that they had sent students to UNMC,” Dr. Bronner said. “It went really well.”
The students toured the Davis Global Center and attended a panel discussion of two medical and two MD-PhD students: Mark Carter, MD; Shaker Dukkipati, MD, PhD; Aaron Schwab, MD-PhD student, and Austen Washington, rising fourth-year medical student. They also demonstrated a simulated physical exam to the high school visitors and the tools commonly seen in a primary care office visit.
After the event, students told Dr. Bronner that they enjoyed the array of technology at the iEXCEL program – but that they also were impressed talking to UNMC medical students, who made time to hold a panel discussion on “Why I Chose a Career in Medicine, A Day in the Life of a Med Student.”
“The UNMC students’ participation made a big difference in the success of the event by interacting with the students and answering many curious questions,” Dr. Bronner said.
Washington said it was important to him to participate.
“Students who come from underrepresented backgrounds usually get limited exposure to these highly professional fields growing up. I wanted to be there as a tangible representation, so they know that it is possible to become a physician regardless of your upbringing.
“I had a great time speaking with the ninth graders and getting to know the different aspects of medicine that they were interested in.”
Of course, iEXCEL’s dazzling simulation technology was a big hit, too.
“Seeing the technology — they were able to wear special glasses that helped them walk inside the ventricles of a human heart. Interacting with the technology and viewing the possibilities in our holographic theatre was extremely appealing to for the high school students,” Dr. Bronner said.
Dr. Bronner said early feedback from Benson’s administrators has been positive.
“I hope we continue to be one of the sites that they send students to on a yearly basis,” she said.