High schoolers get a head start in medical careers

Forty local high school students participated in a three-day health careers summer camp at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The camp focuses on careers such as nursing, medicine, dentistry and biomedical sciences. The students got to take part in several hands-on activities including stitching, making teeth impressions and creating dental molds out of clay.

The students also took a tour of the El Paso Children’s Hospital and the Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso clinics. Organizers held a question-and-answer session with a panel of current medical students.

One of the organizers told ABC-7 the overall goal is to address the shortage of health care providers in the area.

“Our main objective is for each student to have a greater interest in pursuing a health care field career.” said Uriel Acuna, health careers promotions and preparations coordinator. “Not only that but when the students go into their practice and studies, for them to remember to practice in their community – El Paso – and help the community out.”