Breakthrough Gives High Schoolers Real-World Healthcare Experience
Breakthrough Public School students will immerse themselves in the world of medicine during a free medical camp July 18 through 21, called Breakthrough Medical Academy. Twenty-five rising 9th through 12th grade students will participate in the four-day program, hosted in partnership with University Hospitals (UH) Ahuja Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University and Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Students interested in medical careers will gain clinical exposure through a variety of seminars, live demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the week. During the first two days at UH Ahuja Medical Center, students will participate in lung and heart dissections, hear from specialists in neurology, ultrasound and sports medicine, and learn about the administrative side of healthcare from executive leaders.
David Rosenberg, MD, MPH, pulmonologist and medical director of the UH Ahuja Lung Center, and assistant clinical professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, established the Beachwood High School Medical Academy in 2014. He looks forward to kicking off the program for the first year with Breakthrough Public Schools.
“Our goal is to create hands-on learning experiences to peak students’ interests and get them excited about pursuing careers in the healthcare field,” Dr. Rosenberg explained. “We’ll teach them that there are a variety of fields in medicine to pursue that expand well-beyond becoming a physician or nurse. Students could discover they’re interested in becoming an ultrasound technician, hospital administrator, or athletic trainer, for example, and may not have known about those career options prior to this week of experiential learning.”
“Breakthrough Medical Academy will be such an exciting experience for our students,” said Ralph E. Johnson, CEO, Breakthrough Public Schools. “We’re thankful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Rosenberg and his team at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve, and Greater Cleveland Food Bank. This opportunity exposes our scholars to career opportunities that have the potential to change the trajectory of their lives. Collaborative efforts like these are vital to the success of our scholars and they provide great value to our entire community. Breakthrough Medical Academy aids us in our mission to empower our scholars to lead lives full of impact and opportunity.”
On the third day of the program, students will explore the relationship between food and health at Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and participate in a cooking class. On the final day of the academy, students will have the opportunity to visit and tour Case Western Reserve University’s Health Education Campus, which houses their medical, nursing and dental schools. They’ll also participate in a health professions fair and rotate between different skills labs.
“On behalf of Breakthrough Public School and Beyond Breakthrough, we are so appreciative of how this program came together for our students,” said Brittany Hurd, Chief Alumni Success Officer of the Beyond Breakthrough program . “It will be eye-opening for them in terms of their career trajectory as our middle schoolers move on to high school, college and beyond.”