When University alumni and community members step up to help make an Augsburg program succeed, everybody wins.<\/p>\n
Since 2008, Augsburg University has hosted Metro Scrubs summer camps that offer high school students a glimpse into health science careers. Through workshops and hands-on activities, students gain insight into career paths that range from veterinary medicine and public health to physical therapy and nursing. The success of the weeklong program\u2014 formerly known as Urban Scrubs\u2014 hinges on faculty involvement and\u00a0volunteer engagement through which working professionals teach workshops and mini-courses. This year, an Augsburg alumna and the parent of two Auggie alumni stepped in to offer their expertise\u2014and to learn a thing or two from their pupils.<\/p>\n
Jenny Kelley \u201985<\/strong> pursued a nursing degree after completing her Augsburg education and now serves as a nurse and asthma educator at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Kelley initiated a Metro Scrubs class by asking students to inhale and exhale through a narrow cocktail straw, an exercise that highlighted how difficult it is for someone with asthma to breathe. Kelley noticed that her students were from a diverse array of backgrounds, but previous knowledge of asthma was\u00a0something that unified the group.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt I was having an impact on students from many different cultures and different communities,\u201d Kelley said. \u201cYet, everyone knows somebody with asthma, so this education is helpful in ensuring people use their inhalers the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n One out of 12 people in the U.S. is diagnosed with asthma. For Kelley, leading a Metro Scrubs course was away to teach young people about the medical condition and to spur interest in careers that could help tackle this pressing health care need.<\/p>\n For Dr. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Florence<\/strong>, a primary care internist at Allina in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, teaching Metro Scrubs students was an opportunity to reconnect with the basics. Florence knows Augsburg well through his children, Jeffrey Florence \u201902<\/strong> and Beth Florence \u201908<\/strong>, and he noted that teaching high school students was a reminder about the importance of clear doctor-patient communication. \u201cI show the students what it\u2019s like to do an office call with a patient, explaining the types of interactions I have with patients, along with the best and worst ways to handle certain scenarios,\u201d Florence said. \u201cI began teaching the class because the students hadn\u2019t been exposed to primary care in the other Metro Scrubs sessions, and I wanted to teach them what they could and should expect.\u201d While it can be difficult to fit extra opportunities into a physician\u2019s hectic schedule, Florence said leading Metro Scrubs classes has been worthwhile. \u201cIt has helped me to be a better physician and taught students interested in medical careers valuable lessons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The long-term goal of Metro Scrubs Camp is to increase the number of young people from underserved populations who are aware of career opportunities in the health care and biomedical industries, and who become inspired to pursue the level of education required to achieve those careers. During the camp, students develop concrete goals for their post-secondary field of study. More than 75 percent of campers reported they are interested in the health care field, 94 percent could see themselves going to college, and 97 percent could see themselves in a STEM industry.<\/p>\n Augsburg thanks the following partners who make the camp possible through volunteering, donations, sponsorship, and camper scholarships.<\/p>\n Boston Scientific [Top Image]:<\/strong><\/em> Nearly six dozen students participated in Augsburg\u2019s Metro Scrubs Camp this summer. One of nine such programs for Minnesota high school students, Metro Scrubs is a collaborative effort of Augsburg University, HealthForce Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, and St. Catherine University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When University alumni and community members step up to help make an Augsburg program succeed, everybody wins. Since 2008, Augsburg University has hosted Metro Scrubs summer camps that offer high school students a glimpse into health science careers. 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\nMinnesota Office of Higher Education
\nFairview Health Services
\nAllina Health
\nEcumen
\nAloha Foundation
\nStep-Up\/Achieve Minneapolis
\nCedar Riverside Partnership
\nChildren’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
\nRosemount School District
\nSherman Associates<\/p>\n
\n