High school students explore world of medicine during Ohio State MD camp

First day of camp: Students and second-year medical student counselors, from left, standing: Ramy Hassan, Israel Ailemen. Bottom, kneeling: Amy Lin, Erica Mellinger, Blair Hoeting, Teagan Carpenter, Melissa Hamrick, Lydia Copeland, Fakhtah Abdulla, David Kim, Maria Carrasco. Right, standing: Omar Alghothani. 

To continue to build the pipeline of professionals for in-demand health careers, The Ohio State University College of Medicine hosts an annual MD Camp, an intensive, three-week summer day camp for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who are aspiring physicians, medical researchers and health care professionals. Started in 2004 by Jeff Pettey, MD, an Ohio State College of Medicine alumni, the student-led organization has grown in its size and reach. And it has further developed its mission to cultivate a space for students to explore their interests in serving underserved communities as physicians, medical researchers and health care professionals.

Each year, several rising second-year medical students serve as counselors, and they collaborate with other medical students, faculty physicians, and guest speakers to provide high school students the opportunity to experience what it is like to be in medical school. Fakhtah Abdulla served as co-director of MD Camp's executive board this past year. She says a new component included participating in general surgery simulations.

“General surgery resident physicians and surgical technicians donated their time to run several different simulations,” Abdulla says. “Students had the opportunity to work with a da Vinci robot, and even competed with each other by testing their laparoscopic surgical skills.”

Students also learned how to interview and examine patients, close wounds with stitches and perform basic life support. They participated in lectures and hands-on activities in human anatomy and research techniques. They partnered with Buckeye Blanket Bash and made no-sew blankets for patients at the The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and Nationwide Children's Hospital. They also made dozens of hygiene kits for unhoused individuals in partnership with the Street Medicine student organization.

Students learned about gross anatomy through in-person prosection tours (observing specimens prepared by an anatomist) at Hamilton Hall. To simulate the real-life medical school experience, the students took an anatomy practical to assess their knowledge of various organ systems. Students also took other assessments such as an Objective Structured Clinical Examination, which is used to assess patient care skills and communication.

Abdulla believes this year’s camp was a transformative experience for both the medical student counselors and high school student.

“Being able to inspire confidence in these students to pursue careers in medicine and health care was a truly rewarding experience” Abdulla says. “I am excited to see what future cohorts of MD Camp counselors will accomplish through this program.”

 Students are instructed by general surgery resident physicians and run through a code blue simulation at the Clinical Skills Education and Assessment Center. 

A splinting workshop run by orthopedic surgery residents. 

Camp counselors pictured after graduation. Top row (from left): David Kim, Israel Ailemen, Ramy Hassan. Middle row: Melissa Hamrick, Amy Lin, Erica Mellinger, Blair Hoeting. Bottom row: Fakhtah Abdulla, Maria Carrasco, Lydia Copeland, Teagan Carpenter.