The UNMC Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) welcomed participants from its three core community partners to the fourth annual Community Partner Career Day in July.
Completely KIDS, NorthStar Foundation and Girls Inc. members visited UNMC’s campus for a firsthand look at careers in medicine and science through a series of hands-on learning modules led by faculty, residents and researchers.
The day opened with breakfast and remarks from Sharon Stoolman, MD, the department’s vice chair of external affairs, who welcomed participants and spoke about her path toward a career in medicine.
“For some of you, these type of scientific or healthcare spaces might be unfamiliar to you,” she told the audience. “But we want you to experience them so that, if you decide to join us in these careers, you’ll know that you belong here.”
The three community partner groups then rotated through three educational activity modules, two of which were hosted at UNMC’s Davis Global Center. One module demonstrated how germs move through a hospital environment, while the second introduced participants to the simulation training that prepares multidisciplinary hospital teams to care for patients, before the event’s third module gave participants hands-on laboratory experience in a physiology lab, where the group examined a sheep heart and eye, created a DNA sample and explored heart rate and the diving reflex.
The event also included a presentation on uBEATS (UNO & UNMC Building Excellence in Academics Through STEM), a program that gives students in grades six through 12 the opportunity to complete modules in areas of health, including nursing, genetics, medical terminology, public health and pharmacy.
Polls taken at the beginning and end of the day indicated a large jump in interest in careers in medical science. “At the end of the day, we are trying to recruit the people that will replace us in our roles,” Dr. Stoolman said. “It’s exciting to see what just a few hours of exposure can do to generate interest in our field.”