Alberta’s Indigenous youth are getting an opportunity to explore careers in health care.
The University of Alberta’s faculty of medicine and dentistry is opening its doors this week to Indigenous students from Edmonton and northern Alberta communities for the annual Health Sciences Careers Academy.
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Students are touring spaces and participating in activities to learn what it takes to have a career in fields such as a dental hygienist, doctor, medical laboratory technician, and other positions.
The activities include making thumb molds from impression materials and working with simulation mannequins. The students practice their skills on the mannequins using mirrors, suction equipment and air.
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The academy has been in place for seven years, with the support of the non-profit organization CAREERS: The Next Generation, which helps students earn internships.
The organization has also partnered with Alberta Health Services, NAIT and Norquest College to offer summer camps for students interested in a health-care career.