For medical, college, high school and middle school students, IUSM's summer programs around the state offer experiences which can help them assess a medical or scientific career.
The Summer Rural Family Medicine Preceptorship Program works to spark interest in rural medicine by giving first-year students an opportunity to work with rural doctors. Its ultimate aim is to correct the decline in the number of rural practitioners in Indiana. The Cinergy Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PSI Energy and the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company, has provided a five-year, $75,000 grant to IUSM for the initiative. Program director Brenda O'Hara MD '86, clinical assistant professor of family medicine, notes that it's not difficult to interest students in family medicine as long as there is an opportunity for experience.
First-year medical student Jeremy Jaskunas of Indianapolis was one of five selected for the program this summer. He worked full time for eight weeks at a small Coatesville, Indiana, clinic under the tutelage of Robert Heavin, MD. "Ever since I was a kid, I've wanted to follow in my grandfather's footsteps and become an ol' country doc," Jaskunas says.
While the Cinergy project participants experience rural health care, Project SEED (Summer Educational Experience for the Economically Disadvantaged) and the High School Summer Research Apprentice Program are nurturing minds of disadvantaged high school students. Funded by the American Chemical Society, SEED is a work-study program offering Indiana teens the chance to serve eight- to ten-week internships under the supervision of a researcher-mentor.
The goal of SEED is to break down social barriers which may prevent disadvantaged students from taking interest in scientific fields. At IUSM, selected students conduct research in various medical labs, gaining hands-on experience in genetics, biochemistry and other medical sciences.
These students are given a preview of a career in scientific or medical research and their response has been absolutely wonderful," says former SEED project coordinator Edwin Harper, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology. "Many go on to pursue degrees and higher education."
The High School Summer Research Apprentice Program, which receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, also helps students get a better look at a science career. Each year only 10 Indiana high school students are selected for this exclusive program and each works with a volunteer mentor.
Program director Fred Ficklin, EdD '73, sees the positive benefits. "For many of our participants, this summer experience is just what they need to start them off on a successful career preparation path," says Dr. Ficklin, assistant dean and assistant professor of medical education.
IU medical education centers in Gary, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Terre Haute and South Bend also offer summer opportunities for students through a community health science education outreach program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Terre Haute Center holds a summer science camp for both high school and middle school students. Some of the centers also use the grant to provide continuing education programs for primary and secondary science teachers in their communities.
Out-of-classroom career preparation is part of the college experience as well. The Fort Wayne Center sponsors the Summer Research Fellowship Program, a summer research internship designed for undergraduate and medical, law and nursing students. In Indianapolis, 21 undergraduates from around the country make IUSM their summer home through the Short-Term Training for Minorities in Biomedical Research Program. David S. Wilkes, MD, and William J. Martin II, MD, co-direct the program, which encourages minority students to pursue careers in scientific research.
IUSM summer programs offer tremendous opportunities for career exploration to many underserved and motivated students.