From Small Towns to Big Dreams

Midwestern University’s annual Health Careers Institute (HCI) welcomed 64 high school students to the Glendale Campus from July 13-17 for a week of interactive workshops and career discovery.

Guided by Midwestern faculty and student mentors, participants learned about healthcare career options, how to find their best fit, advice for applying to college and professional schools, and skills for their own mental and physical health. Hands-on workshops included tutorials in venipuncture, ultrasound, vital signs, intubation, anatomy, dentistry, and optometry, giving them insight to the many possibilities in healthcare. 

Statewide Impact

While most high school students commuted daily from the Phoenix metro area, six students attended the Health Careers Institute from across the state – from Nogales to Flagstaff and several towns in between. 

Sophia Snyder, a senior from Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff, commented, “We don’t have many opportunities like this in Flagstaff because it’s a smaller city. Our high school doesn’t have the resources to do as many hands-on activities, and there’s only one hospital in town that doesn’t do as much high school outreach. It was really worth it to apply to HCI!”

The high school students learned to use the latest technology Midwestern has to offer, including virtual reality (VR) headsets in the Optometry VR Lab, intraoral scanners in the Dental Simulation Lab, and high-fidelity mannequins in the Clinical Skills & Simulation Center – all tools high schoolers don’t typically have access to, particularly in more rural areas. 

German Bool, a senior from Wickenburg High School, shared his experience at HCI: “I’m from a small town and would like to be a pediatrician. HCI was my chance to see if healthcare is the path for me before I go to college. The drive was long, but being surrounded by people who want the same thing made it worth it,” he said. “If you think you might want a career in healthcare, just go! You don’t have to know everything yet – I didn’t. But you get to see and learn what you might be interested in.” 

Killian Vo, a senior from University High School in Tucson, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity the program provided: “I’m glad HCI is free and accessible to students out of town. It helps low-income students like me to explore career paths without paying for expensive summer programs we simply cannot afford, especially when we are already worried about future costs of college and medical school,” she said. 

Inspiring Future Healthcare Professionals

By participating in a variety of workshops, the high school students discovered academic and career paths they hadn’t considered before. German shared that his favorite part of the week was “definitely the dental lab, where I got to actually drill a fake tooth and fill the cavity. It was crazy to do it myself instead of just watching someone else. It made me realize I’m interested in other pediatric options, like pediatric dentistry,” he said.

Gael Ramirez Robles, a senior from Vista Grande High School in Casa Grande, shared his highlights of the program: “It was my first time being in an anatomy cadaver lab, and that was cool to see and learn on the donors,” he commented. “I also learned that all healthcare providers work together as a team, so it was helpful to gain a sense of what other specialties do and what I can learn from them.” 

Sophia said her favorite part of HCI was learning to gown and scrub in for surgery. “It felt really realistic, especially because we were in the mock operating room,” she said. “I also liked the venipuncture workshop because they taught us the safe and correct way to draw blood. It was kind of like going behind the scenes of a doctor’s office and learning why they do things certain ways.”

Julia Qi, a senior from Flagstaff High School, agreed that venipuncture was her favorite workshop. “It was really cool to learn how to draw blood – I’m obsessed! It was nice to know the science behind it and get to use actual professional tools,” she said. 

In addition to the workshops, the high school students connected with Midwestern faculty and students. Killian reflected, “My favorite part of the program was being able to explore so many professions and to hear personal perspectives on it. We had quality time to sit down and talk with the healthcare faculty and ask our own questions, rather than just search for answers online or watch videos.”

Bringing Back New Discoveries

The students left equipped with new experiences and knowledge, now on their way to their senior year of high school and first year of undergraduate programs. Julia said, “Going back to my high school after this program, I’ll view things more holistically and keep a more open mind. I came in just looking forward to dentistry because it meshes art and healthcare. But throughout the week, we dove into a bunch of different specialties I found interesting that I can look further into.”

For Killian, spending time in the anatomy lab prepared her for her future studies. She commented, “I will definitely be taking back more anatomy knowledge, which will be helpful if I take an anatomy class next year. We don’t get to do many medical things in my high school, so it’s cool to learn it here.”

She concluded, “I appreciate that HCI exists! Before I went to the program, I was set on my interest in neurology and hadn’t thought about exploring other fields. After this week, I realized I’m also interested in other fields, like nurse anesthesia and ophthalmology, as possible career paths.”

Learn more about Midwestern University's Health Careers Institute - AZ.