In a new partnership between Blue Springs, Mo., School District and Cleveland University-Kansas City, 13 high school students interested in health care professions found themselves exploring the life of a medical professional this June. The hands-on, five-day experience gave the students a deep dive into the fields of occupational therapy, radiologic technology, and chiropractic medicine.
The Anatomy & Physiology camp concept was developed to complement the school district’s new Dual Credit Anatomy and Physiology course that begins Fall 2018, according to Dr. Cheryl Carpenter-Davis, CUKC vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College of Health Sciences.
“The week-long camp allowed students to solve a mock patient case by defining and recommending tests to determine the diagnosis and treatment,” Carpenter-Davis said. “On Friday, the students presented their diagnostic findings for the patient case and our faculty panel reviewed the students’ recommendations.”
During the week, CUKC faculty led various interactive lab sessions, classroom activities, and group discussions that covered topics such as the anatomy of the SI joint and knee, physics using the University’s Force Sensing Table technology, microbiology, electrical stimulation, and general physiology.
“I was completely fascinated by this opportunity,” said Alisyn Tharp, a high school junior. “This gave me ideas for more career options.”
Sylvia Perry, also a high school junior, said her exposure to all the activities might lead her to study occupational therapy rather than pediatrics.
Allia Shelby, who teaches Principles of Biomedical Science in the Blue Springs district, also voiced her approval of the experience.
“These students believe they want to go into a biomedical/health profession,” Shelby said. “This was an excellent way for them to see what their future could be like and get to explore many different occupations. The growth I saw in these kids over one week was amazing.”
She noted the Blue Springs School District has great resources, but those “cannot compare to a clinical setting like this.”
With positive feedback from the Blue Springs School District, students who participated and CUKC faculty, Carpenter-Davis said other high school-CUKC camp partnerships could be planned for the future.
“Our College of Health Sciences and College of Chiropractic faculty spent several months designing a summer camp curriculum that would deliver across-the-board benefits for the students,” she said. “High school students don’t get these kinds of experiences very often. We’re excited to do it for them.”
Among those who were curious about what happens in an “Anatomy & Physiology camp” was KMBZ 98.1 FM news reporter Dan Weinbaum. His story from the camp is available at this web link.
