UConn Health Boosts Connecticut Youth Careers

Approximately 100 high school and college students had the opportunity to engage with UConn Health fac­ulty, staff, medical, dental and graduate students in a series of activities to raise awareness about health and biomedical science careers and the admissions process for medical, dental, and graduate schools.

At UConn Health on October 19 the 2024 Bridge to the Future Health Career Pathways Mentoring Conference happily returned in-person. Since 2019 the annual event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event was hosted by Dr. Marja Hurley, UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, professor of medicine and orthopedic surgery, and associate dean of the Health Career Opportunity Programs.

This year's conference was organized by the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP), the UConn Chapters of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), and the Student National Dental Association/ Hispanic Student Dental Association (SNDA/HSDA).

The keynote speaker was Dr. Nurudeen Osumah, a UConn Health HCOP Pipeline participant and UConn School of Medicine Class of 2022 graduate who is an Emergency Medicine resident training at UConn Health. He spoke to the students about the impact of participating in a multitude of UConn Health HCOP preparatory programs and his personal journey through college and medical school.

Enrichment activities at the event for high school students included a "Road to Success" panel with Doctors Academy alumni, presentations and interactive activities on medical Spanish, taking a patient history, and clinical skills focused on blood pressure, suturing, surgical knots, and lumbar puncture conducted by members of LMSA and SNMA.

The college students attended a research poster symposium with currently enrolled UConn medical, dental, and graduate student presenters to learn about biomedical research opportunities and an enrichment semi­nar to learn about the admissions process for graduate and medical school programs offered at UConn Health.

For college students specifically interested in dental med­icine, a Dental Impressions Workshop led by Jaelon Blandburg, third-year dental student and Dr. Gerald Birmingham, clinical assistant professor in General Dentistry, and assistant director of the Department of Health Career Opportunity Programs focused on a series of information sessions which included careers in dental medicine and a hands-on activity for taking dental impressions.

Additionally, college students interested in medicine engaged in a breakout session on medical patient history and case study led by Dr. Lenworth Ellis, assistant professor of medicine, interim chief of the Division of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, along with Professor Hurley and medical students.

The college program concluded with a "Road to Success" scholar athlete panel moderated by Khaoula Ben Haj Frej, a fourth-year medical student and Jaelon Blandburg, a third-year dental student. Currently enrolled students at the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine shared personal anecdotes, their experience as college student athletes, progres­sion through their respective schools, and answered questions about their successes and challenges faced on their journey.