From July 14 to 18, Sentara Summer Healthcare Career Camp will teach a cohort of teens about the diverse career opportunities in the health care field. Sixteen middle school students from Prince William County Schools will be spending the week at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge. This is the second year in a row SNVMC will participate in the program.
Most young teens consider becoming a doctor or nurse as a possible career path — but the camp will open their eyes to other, possibly lesser-known career opportunities in health care. During that week, the students will be spending time with professionals that work in radiology, pharmacy, physical therapy, community health, food service, chaplaincy, emergency care, and administration. In addition to exploring the different medical fields, students will have the chance to spend time with the Prince William County Fire & Rescue and tour the AirCare 1 Helicopter.
Throughout the week the students will learn a variety of health care skills to start up their training, like CPR, simulated IV placement, and suturing on fruit. They will also be learning how to put personal protective equipment (PPE) on as they learn about preventing infectious diseases in health care settings.
“The hands-on nature of the experience allows the camp participants to experience work in the hospital setting with all their senses,” says Jon Radulovic, the communications advisor for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “They get to put their hands on the equipment used in medical procedures, they go through activities that are a part of physical therapy, the get to see and experience the work that is done in a pharmacy or lab setting, they get a look at the depth and breadth of operations at a medical campus that’s very much like a little city.”
The program first launched in 2023 at three Sentara hospitals with the goal to “inspire the next generation of health care professionals,” Radulovic says. It expanded to three more in 2023 (including Woodbridge) in 2024, and there are now seven hospitals participating.
“This is a time when young people are beginning to explore options for their future and [it] might help prepare them for the academic work and goals that will make more possibilities open to them,” Radulovic says. “The Healthcare Career Camp is about opening doors they might not have known were even available to them and shine a light on opportunity.”
Teachers at Prince William County Schools shared information about the program with students and gave recommendations to students they felt would benefit from the program. Those students then submitted applications and personal essays, and school officials selected the students to participate.
Feature image courtesy Sentara
