On Tuesday, September 27, a group of 14 Warrensville Heights High School seniors kicked off their participation in the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s new Aspiring DOctors Precollege Program.
The seniors will visit campus every other month to participate in a highly engaging STEM and college-readiness curriculum. During the months they are not on campus, they will participate in an individualized volunteer experience at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital in a variety of departments from nursing to human resources to out-patient rehabilitation. During their first day on campus, the seniors heard presentations from Ohio University undergraduate admissions and from Cleveland State’s Urban Health Fellows program. They also had their volunteer orientation at South Pointe Hospital and learned the value of putting patients first and providing excellent customer service. After lunch, the students learned about what makes osteopathic doctors unique during a hands-on activity with the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) faculty. They also had a chance to connect and get to know their Medical Student Buddies. These are second-year medical students who will meet with the seniors each time they are on campus to encourage their interests in science, medicine, and post-secondary education, and to provide insight into the college and medical school experiences.
Next month, the seniors will begin volunteering at South Pointe. They will be back on campus in November.