With more adolescents growing interest in the healthcare field, FACES Summer Medical Academy (FSMA) was created to expose high school students to the field of medicine, nursing, and allied professions. This year’s academy was a huge success. High school students all over the Bay Area, from Fremont to San Francisco and all the way up to Vallejo, were able to take part in this one of a kind summer enrichment experience. In partnership with Samuel Merritt University, FACES for the Future Coalition hosted 38 scholars from July 11-22, 2016 to provide a unique lens for high schoolers to view the current healthcare field. The main takeaways we heard from our students were:
Introduction to Clinical Skills
In our first week, students were mentored by numerous health professionals and received a crash course on various clinical skills including: taking vitals, immunizations, and IV placement. Some proved much harder than others – especially intubation!
Career Exposure
Students had many opportunities to meet and talk to professionals holding various roles in the healthcare field. They were able to hear from a team of emergency medical technicians and were fascinated with the high-pressure situations EMTs face every day. The students also took a field trip to UCSF School of Medicine where they met with current medical students and learned about the long but fulfilling road to becoming a doctor. Our FSMA scholars were also introduced to nurses, doctors, physician’s assistants, pathologists, global health workers, and many more.
Cultural Competency
Many of our workshops taught skills that a doctor needs, but doesn’t necessarily learn in an orthodox classroom– one being cultural competency. An example of that is our Patient-Centered Care Workshop where students role-played as doctors in very sensitive patient situations. This challenged many assumptions that students had about communication and compassion in a patient setting. Students commented on how this was an extremely eye-opening experience for them.
FACES Summer Medical Academy hopes to continue impacting high school students by giving them the confidence that they can pursue the health field! Until next summer!
Student Feedback:
“I’m more confident about my future, and I learned that I sometimes am drawn to a leadership position.”
“I learned that self-advocacy is not only important in our daily lives but it is also important in the medical field if you are advocating for yourself or your patient.”
“I learned that I do want to get involved in this field of work filled with compassion and to do so I would need to foster that mindset and live life mindfully.”
“I learned that I have to be more aware of what is going on not only in my community, but also the issues around the world. I often take things for granted (like having a door at my house) and I have to change that.”
“I learned that you should never assume anything about anything or anyone. Always come into a situation with a clean slate, open mind, and kind heart. Hard work & persistence will bring you far.”
Hear from our Student Advisors:
Experience the Program:
Browse photos from the program below:
Thank you to our partners and supporters:
