Midwestern University Offers Free Programs for High School Students in 2024

Each year, Midwestern University, in conjunction with the BHHS Legacy Foundation, offers high school students a full slate of free programs designed to stoke their interest in healthcare careers.

In 2024, the University’s events for high school students start in February with the Arizona Regional Brain Bee, followed later in the month by the Health Sciences Career Day. Midwestern University’s capstone event, the nine-day Health Careers Institute for High School Students, takes place from June 19th to June 29th.

A live competition similar to a spelling bee, the Arizona Regional Brain Bee offers students the chance to compete for scholarships and other prizes by answering questions about the brain and central nervous system. Participation is free, and the winner will receive airfare and expense money to compete in the National Brain Bee Competition. This event will be held live and in-person on the Midwestern University campus.

The Health Sciences Career Day is designed for high school classes from all around Arizona to benefit from interactive presentations and activities designed by Midwestern University’s healthcare professionals during an informative all-day on-campus event. Hands-on lab activities and presentations will highlight careers in osteopathic medicine, optometry, dental medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy, biomedical sciences, perfusion, podiatric medicine, clinical psychology, physical therapy, nurse anesthesia, graduate nursing, speech-language pathology, public health, precision medicine, and veterinary medicine. Space is limited; interested schools must register online by November 10th to be entered into a lottery. If selected, schools are eligible to register up to 40 students per class, along with a teacher chaperone.

For students who want to learn about health careers more in-depth, Midwestern will offer its nine-day Health Careers Institute for High School Students in late June.  Each day from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Midwestern faculty and advanced students will teach workshops in anatomy and introductory clinical skills for various health professions, with a special focus on how to prepare for college and what to expect from each profession. Guest lectures for this exciting summer program will include current medical topics such as Drug Addiction, Healthcare Volunteer Opportunities, and more. Students must be current sophomores, juniors, or seniors and submit an application including short essays and a current transcript by April 1st. Only 64 students can be accepted each year.