Submitted by Pamela Loughlean, Executive Director, Peninsula FHT
Discovery Healthcare Camp is a one-week medical science summer camp for high school students throughout Southwestern Ontario organized through the Schulich School of Medicine at Western University. Started over 15 years ago, this camp is designed to mentor and inspire student interest in a career in medicine and/or many other roles within the healthcare field.
This year’s summer camp was held at the Brightshores Health System-Owen Sound site and the Peninsula Family Health Team was proud to sponsor Brielle Lawrence who attends Bruce Peninsula District School in Lion’s Head.
Dr. Victor Ng, of the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University stated that these camps are aimed at inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals. Many of the students are from the local community and they can see healthcare workers who are from their own community, working there with them and showing them the exciting things that they do. It really shows students that they can go on and become a health care provider, whether it’s a physician or a nurse or any other health care profession, and then eventually go back to their home communities to work.
Following the week-long camp, Brielle reported that “I loved everything about this program. I really enjoyed suturing, anatomy & injections. The hospital tour, and learning how to take patient history, was a great experience. I met new people with the same passion and enjoyed working with all the hospital staff as well as the leaders from Western University. Thank you to the Lion’s Head doctors for sponsoring me!”
