Bossier Parish students got to spend a “Day with the Doctors.”
Students Abigail Booker, Matthew Busby, Taylor Gatson, Ahmad Kasabali, Kemonte McClinton, and Robert Spraggins, II of Airline High School; Haley Dishman, Darbi Long and Tanerica Moton of Benton High School; and Nicolas O’Connor and Allison Rogers of Parkway High School all recently took time at the LSU Health Shreveport- School of Medicine in Shreveport to participate in the “Day with the Doctors” program.
“We are pleased to sponsor this important opportunity for young people throughout North Louisiana to have an experience at the medical school. Rural Louisiana has a shortage of physicians and experience has taught us that “growing our own health professionals” is the key to filling this demand,” stated Susan Moreland, Executive Director of North Louisiana AHEC.
These students were among 42 students from North Louisiana chosen to spend an entire day with medical staff and students at LSU Health Shreveport- School of Medicine.
Day with the Doctors is a one-day, interactive program that provides Louisiana high school students with an opportunity to experience and observe a day’s activities on a medical school campus. Students interact with faculty and medical students, discuss health careers and medical school, as well as learn basic medical diagnostic skills.
Hands-on training includes: learning how to listen to breath and heart sounds, checking reflexes, suturing bananas and improving communication and listening skills in working with patients.
LSU Health Shreveport- School of Medicine faculty members and staff were available to answer questions regarding educational prerequisites, medical school admissions, medical school costs, and personal preparation for the commitment of a health career.
“A special thank you for the success of this program goes to the faculty and staff at LSU Health Shreveport- School of Medicine for their vision for the community and commitment to this enticement and recruitment effort. It will be many years before most of these young people have completed their post-secondary education and are eligible to apply for medical school, but this experience will have a significant impact on the choices they make over the next five or six years. NLAHEC’s goal is for these young people to be the Louisiana physicians of the future,” said Moreland.
This unique health career enticement program is coordinated and sponsored by North Louisiana AHEC and LSU Health Shreveport- School of Medicine to educate future health professionals about the demand for healthcare professionals in rural and underserved areas of Louisiana.
Student participation is by invitation only and is limited to high school students residing in North Louisiana who have successfully completed other enticement programs sponsored by North Louisiana AHEC. Students must be currently enrolled as a high school sophomore, junior or senior and have a 3.5 grade point average or better.
