While most students are enjoying the summer break, a group of Kingston-area high school students are learning about a career path in medicine.
This week, Queen’s University is hosting a summer program that gives local students from equity-deserving communities a hands-on introduction to health sciences education.
The Queen’s Health Sciences outreach summer program aims to give 16 local high school students a hands-on introduction to jobs in the medical field.
“I want to be able to make medicine that makes people get better, whether it’s cancer or diabetes, anything that helps people,” said Jana Badawi, a Grade 10 student.
During the course of a week, students are given workshops and lab visits from different departments, including ophthalmology and sports medicine.
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Students are also given a mentor.
“They’ve given me a mentor that they’ve paired me with and he has given me so much advice and help that has allowed me to become decisive with my decision for my future,” said Abdul Kareem Mohammad, a Grade 11 student.
The program launched last year with a specific focus on helping racially diverse students navigate opportunities in the field as well as the application process and potential scholarships.
Ryan Truong and fellow medical student and program co-ordinator Olivia Hendrikx both say similar programs helped inspire them when they were in high school.
Truong, a Queen’s University medical student who was assisting with the course, said programs like these are invaluable to inspire young people from diverse backgrounds to choose careers in the health-care field.
“Ultimately, when I step into a clinic and I see someone who reminds me of someone in my community, there’s a different degree of attachment and being able to connect with people and recognize their full picture and what they’re dealing with,” Truong said.
Hendrikx, the program co-ordinator, said it was a program much like this one that inspired her to go into medicine.
“I feel like the opportunities and the stuff I learned from that program and the types of mentorship that I had were really significant to develop me into the person I am today,” Hendrikx said.
Both are hoping to do the same for this new group of students.
Hendrikx says those who are interested in joining the program should start by talking to their local high school guidance counsellor.
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