Health Professions Symposium '24 connects students with unique career possibilities
The 8th Annual University of New Mexico Health Professions Symposium (HPS) 2024 hosted more than 80 workshops for students interested in the health professions earlier this month. Participants had the opportunity to explore a variety of medical fields including population health, medical laboratory science, dental hygiene, and more.
HPS 2024 workshops covered a wide range of topics, from preparing for a pre-university health program to juggling family life with medical school. This event provided unique networking opportunities and fostered professional growth. The symposium was a huge success with a record 750 attendees, not including workshop presenters and information table organizers.
The event was opened by UNM President Garnet Stokes, Douglas Ziedonis, deputy director of the UNM Health Sciences Center, and Eve Espey, professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the UNM School of Health Sciences and director of the Family Planning Fellowship.
In his talk, Ziedonis shared his experiences as an up-and-coming professional and said students should consider the vast opportunities available to them in the medical profession.
“When I was sitting where you are, I never thought of pursuing a career in research. I was inspired by my family doctor,” he said. “There are many professions. Some people said, “I want to be a doctor,'' “I want to be a nurse,'' and “I want to be a dentist!'' There are so many other areas, so it really takes a team effort. That's why I encourage you to be open-minded when approaching this issue. I never thought my career would end this way. ”
Mr. Espe emphasized the critical need for health workers in the face of an aging population and a shortage of health workers exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. He thanked the attendees for his interest in this field and his potential contribution.
“As our population continues to age, we will be relying on more people to take care of us, and there is a shortage of workers. Many people are leaving the medical profession due to the impact of COVID-19. We know we've lost those guys, but we've worked really hard to get those guys back. Again, I hope we can learn a lot of lessons from this. We need you. Thank you so much for being here,” she said.
The HPS Planning Committee actively worked with several New Mexico high schools to provide transportation to the event. One of the most popular interactive workshops was the suturing workshop, where students received instruction on how to suture.
Maria Trujillo-Hanawalt, a member of the University Outreach Committee and co-president of the Pre-Optometry Society, said workshops like this one help students decide whether a career in medicine is right for them. emphasized the importance of
“If you're in high school and interested in going to medical school and want to know if it's for you, trying suturing can be a great way to determine if this path is for you.” ” said Maria Trujillo-Hanawalt. She is a member of the College Outreach Committee and she is also co-president of the Pre-Optometry Society.
HPS program leaders and committee members believe this symposium will be stimulating for young people interested in the health professions. Muskan Katoch, program leader for HPS 2024, shares her own insecurities about the direction of her career at a young age and how her symposium helped her find her path. Told.
“What I want students to get out of this situation is how to find their own way. When I was an MD/PhD student, I had to figure out where I was supposed to be and whether I wanted to go into this field. What I found really helpful was the symposium, which I think applies not only to medicine, but also to dentistry, occupational therapy, specialty fields, and the other professions mentioned here. '' said Catozzi.
HPS 2024 program committee member Megan Hallenberg shared her journey from high school symposium participant to committee member. She emphasized the value of the symposium in providing information and guidance to students interested in the health professions.
“I'm one of those who came here from high school. I had some knowledge before entering the medical profession and had a lot of information about the possibilities for attending undergraduate and graduate school. Finding out if pre-health is right for you is very rewarding.”
Hallenberg said the symposium played a pivotal role in her pre-health life.
“I think it's a great process, both as a student participating in the workshop and as a member of the committee. I think it's very easy to decide that you want to be a doctor, especially as a high school student, but I thought, 'How do I do this?' I thought, “I can be there?'' what do i do? 'I got a lot of information here. I continued to come here throughout high school, learning more and attending new workshops…and once I got to university, I worked behind the scenes on a committee that decided what students wanted to study. “We decided to do that,” Hallenberg said.
The UNM Health Professions Symposium is a valuable resource for students interested in a career in health care. Those who missed HPS 2024 will be happy to hear that HPS 2025 is already in development.
