The Colorado Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) provides opportunities for students to explore and prepare for various careers in the fields of health and medicine. This summer, seven students had the chance to participate in one of AHEC’s summer programs at the Colorado University Anschutz medical campus located in Aurora, Colo.

From July 15 to July 19 the Summer Health Careers Institute offered the students various activities and workshops that investigated health and medical careers that included pharmacists, general practitioners, nursing, surgeons, and a variety of other related fields.

The Institute provided workshops on reading/study habits, personal health and wellness, Myers-Briggs personality inventory, writing personal statements for college entrance and HIPPA training. The students also experienced hands on labs. These included exploring obesity, working with a cadaver, a suture lab and facing real life medical scenarios as doctors in the Center for Advancing Professional Experience (CAPE) building (a mock up hospital). The work was rigorous and the expectations were high during the camp and the students worked very hard (8 a.m.-10 p.m. everyday) to achieve those expectations.

During their stay in Denver, the participants traveled to the Colorado History museum where they enjoyed a behind the scenes tour and learned of the careers that can be found there. The tour included a visit to the preparation and design center where the displays are imagined and created as well as the archives where many artifacts are stored and rarely seen.

The Summer Heath Careers Institute concluded with a day of job shadowing medical professionals in their working environment. From neurosurgeons, to pharmacists, to the Children’s Hospital; the participants engaged in a wide variety of real life experiences. Armed with new knowledge, a certificate, and insight to the various careers in health and medicine, these seven student participants have opened the doors for future programs (one is planned for summer 2016) with the Colorado Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).