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Education
Minnesota high school students get hands-on experience with healthcare careers at Mayo Clinic
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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Thirty-one Minnesota high school students are participating in a five-day residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester next week, learning about health science careers ranging from echocardiography to physician assistant.
The Career Immersion Program, presented by Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, offers high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with experts in some of the most sought-after health science fields. More than 250 students from across Minnesota have come to Mayo Clinic to explore careers since the program's inception in 2017. Many have gone on to careers in healthcare.
"The Career Immersion Program has proven to open the doors for many high school juniors and seniors who are keenly interested in health science and medical careers," says Martha-Gracia Knuttinen, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean for admissions, diversity, equity and inclusion at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. "During their days at Mayo Clinic, they learn firsthand about the most in-demand healthcare careers with personalized attention. They learn how to navigate the pathways to those careers, and understand the tools needed to be successful. It's an extraordinary opportunity, and the students who come here are motivated to take full advantage."
The program will begin Sunday evening, June 23, with an orientation in downtown Rochester. The school provides room and board. The students have full schedules each day through Thursday. On Monday, students will have experiential sessions in histology, ophthalmic assistant, paramedic, physical therapy, and echocardiography careers. The focus on Tuesday will be radiography, nuclear medicine, sonography, clinical neurophysiology, phlebotomy and respiratory therapy. Nurse anesthesia, surgical first assistant, pharmacy technician, radiation therapist, MRI and social worker are among other career areas featured.
"One key to the Career Immersion Program's success is students' hands-on participation with the tools of the health sciences trades — life-preserving emergency medicine paramedic equipment, ultrasound equipment for heart scans, specialized MRI diagnostics, physical therapy techniques and more, in the 18 health science careers that learners experience with us,” says Mary Bany, operations administrator, Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
Admission to the program is competitive, and participants come from diverse backgrounds and from all over Minnesota.
For news media: Media are welcome to attend a Career Immersion Program session and talk with students at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 25. To attend, contact Jay Furst, Mayo Clinic Research and Education Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu.
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