Fifteen-year-old Jessica Brickley knew she wanted to go into healthcare. "Both of my parents have serious health problems so I've been thinking about this career choice for a while," says the Bloomington teenager.
Brickley wasn't sure she wanted to become a physician, but like many teens, she was unfamiliar with other health careers. Then a neighbor told her about Scrubs Camp.
A Taste Of College
Scrubs Camp was created by HealthForce Minnesota (http://www.healthforceminnesota.org), a collaborative partnership of education, industry and community. The program, held at Winona State University (www.winona.edu), introduces campers to health-related fields like electroneurodiagnostics, clinical laboratory science, nursing, emergency medical services, imaging and dental careers.
Participants spend five days at WSU, where they stay in the dorms and get a taste of college life. Last summer, half of the campers were from the Twin Cities metro area. The rest were from southern Minnesota.
A Camper's Day
Brickley and her fellow campers started their day around 6 a.m. when they got up, put on their bright purple scrubs and went to breakfast. "It really felt like a professional routine," Brickley says.
The students immersed themselves in the world of medicine. They attended classes, participated in hands-on workshops, toured local medical facilities and got to know current Winona State students and faculty.