Discovery Healthcare Summer Camp Provides a Pathway to a Career in Healthcare
July 18, 2022
Six million Canadians live in rural and remote communities, making up almost 20 per cent of the population. The Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that less than ten per cent of physicians practise in those areas, but that number has been on the steady increase since 2013.
With the recent announcements of emergency room closures due to staff shortages, the spotlight continues to shine on the need for an increase in a variety of healthcare professionals.
Discovery Healthcare is a summer camp that provides a unique learning opportunity for high school students who have an interest in pursing a career in medicine, nursing, dentistry, paramedics, kinesiology or other healthcare professions.
The camp is led by first- and second-year medical students from the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University. These future medical professionals spend the week providing mentorship and learning opportunities for the campers.
Discovery Healthcare aims to be a socially accountable initiative supported by the Office of Distributed Education, Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. By fostering a passion for healthcare among our local youth, Discovery Healthcare will serve as an initiative to encourage sustainability of our future healthcare system.
Discovery Healthcare is being offered in Goderich in partnership with Gateway Centre for Excellence in Rural Health, Sarnia in partnership with Bluewater Health and Lambton College, Chatham in partnership with Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and Stratford in partnership with Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance.
Looking forward, there is a gradual expansion plan over the next 3 years that will see eight camps offered throughout Southwestern Ontario.
Campers engage in a variety of activities allowing them to learn hands-on clinical skills, gain understanding of local health issues and social determinants of health, learn about the pathways to different careers, and see healthcare professionals in action through shadowing opportunities.
Campers participate in unique learning opportunities such as:
- Clinical skills sessions (suturing, casting, stethoscope activities, wound dressing)
- Talks from healthcare professionals and opportunities for clinical exposure (job shadowing)
- Discussions involving the path to various healthcare professions (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, EMS, and dentistry)
- Stand Up for Health (teaching Social Determinants of Health)
- An introduction to case-based learning and sample diagnostic cases
- Recreation sessions incorporating fun and team-building activities
The pandemic has shone a light on the need for youth to explore careers in the healthcare field. Discovery Healthcare hopes to build confidence and a passion to explore all healthcare career opportunities.