Med school hosts summer camp to inspire youth to work in health care

High school students from across northern Ontario are taking part in an event hosted by NOSM University called CampMed.

The annual summer camp provides students with a unique opportunity to see if a career in health care is the right fit for them.

A total of 24 students in Grades 10-11 participated in CampMed.

Organizers said the goal is to give students a hands-on experience and encourage them to consider a career in health care.

“They do workshops throughout the week. Some are casting, we have workshops on diagnostic imaging, there are so many that they can learn,” said Lindsay Lemieux, CampMed counsellor.

“Maybe there’s a spark that we can kind of expand on or maybe they just want to learn a little bit more about it. We have a shortage of healthcare providers in the north and basically CampMed is to bridge that gap.”

Nikki McGregor of Huntsville is heading into Grade 11 next year. She said she has always had a dream of becoming a paediatric ICU nurse, and said this camp really solidified that for her.

“When you’re so young and have a passion for something, it’s really hard to find someone to help pursue it. I’m super happy I came, I’ve learned so much,” said McGregor.

“We got to hold human hearts yesterday and it explore all the different types of the heart. When I held it, when I looked at it, when I saw it, I was like 'this is where I want to be.' It just hit me right then and there.

Another student, Zachary Vaillancourt wants to be a cardiologist.

“It was really fun to dig into the heart and the lungs and figure out all the anatomy and how they work together to help your breathing and your blood circulation,” said Vaillancourt.

For students not able to make it to the in-person event, a virtual CampMed will begin July 13 and wrap up July. 22.