DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University welcomed high school students from all over the country for an innovative six-day summer camp in Davie.
NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine faculty and staff designed and organized the AIM-High curriculum as an interactive immersion into the diversity of the medical field.
“Some of them want to go into physical therapy, optometry, nursing, not all medicine,” said Anastasia Murphy, a first-year NSU medical student serving as an AIM-High counselor.
On Friday, one of the camp’s sessions was about concussions, a traumatic head injury that affects brain function. The students also learned about the roles that Emergency Medical Technicians play.
“They go in with the opportunity to see what the medicine is actually like,” said Eric LeVasseur, a first-year NSU medical student serving as an AIM-High counselor.
The students wore white lab coats. Revti Dharmadhikari, one of the participants who want to go to medical school, said the activities at the camp were reassuring.
“It’s just so fun to talk to people interact and figure out what’s wrong with them and empathize and help them out, which is what I feel really passionate about,” Revti said.
Jonathan Hus, another student participating, said he appreciated the hands-on experiences that some of the sessions offered.
“It really gave a way to experience many different fields and aspects of medicine,” Jonathan said about his experience.
Dana S. Famularo, a manager at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said students had a lot of questions about The Medical College Admission Test. Jessica Malave, a certified pharmacy technician with NSU, said the program exposes students to the diversity of careers in the medical field.
“People think medical field and they just think of doctors but this gives them the opportunity to open that there are opportunities, there’s more than just being a physician,” Malave said.
The June 17–23 residential camp was only for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who were using the NSU residential dorms.
The June 11–15 camp allowed high school freshmen to participate in about seven hours of instruction daily. Some 50 students participated in each session.
The tuition for the June 11–15 camp was $1,200. The tuition for the June 17–23 was $1,800. There were scholarships and employee discountsThe deadline for applications was May.
For more information, visit the program’s page.