Arkansas High School Students Get Firsthand Look at Health Care Thanks to UAMS
| When she first signed up for the summer medical program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Frasier Howard thought that she would be most interested in the neonatal intensive care unit. But after a tour of an emergency room, the fast pace and unpredictability of emergency medicine captured her imagination.
“I always feel like I thrive in chaos,” Howard said. “I think that’s why I was so fascinated by the ER.”
Howard, a rising sophomore at Fort Smith’s Southside High School, took part in one of UAMS’ Medical Applications of Science for Health (MASH) programs. It’s designed to introduce Arkansas high school students to the wide variety of careers in the health care industry.
“I’ve known since I was little that I want to work in the medical field,” Howard said. “This camp has been very helpful because we’ve gotten to learn about areas of health care that I didn’t even know existed. I came into the week thinking that I wanted to work in the NICU but after experiencing it first-hand, I really want to work in an ER now.
First held in 1988, MASH is a two-week program held at UAMS Regional Campuses and community hospitals across Arkansas. A similar program, shortened into a single week known as mini-MASH, is also offered. Participants must be entering the 11th or 12th grades and have at least a 2.5 grade point average. In a related program, students who will be entering eighth, ninth or 10th grade are eligible for a one-week intensive Community Health Applied in Medical Public Service (CHAMPS) program.
“The MASH experience helps students see themselves in health care,” said Ursula Redmond, an education coordinator at UAMS. “When they are surrounded by health care professionals and witnessing real life scenarios, the MASH experience can be a deciding factor for many students who are interested in health care as a career. Whether they end up pursuing health care or not, they’ve gained insight and perspective about health care in their communities.”
This year, 29 sessions were held in 28 cities around the state with more than 450 students taking part. The program is free for students, thanks to a partnership with Arkansas Farm Bureau. In 2023, Arkansas Farm Bureau pledged a gift of $500,000 over five years to create the Farm Bureau Fund for Excellence, which supports health career recruitment efforts.
Exposure to different health care fields is a vital part of the MASH program. Students learn about various medical disciplines, what they do and how they relate to each other. They also get to interact with different health care professionals such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, medical and radiologic technologists, respiratory therapists, dentists, pharmacists and dietitians. The way different professions function, both individually and as part of an interdisciplinary team approach to health care, are a particular focus of the sessions.
The MASH program offers presentations from a variety of health care professionals as well as several different tours, hands-on activities and in-person experiences, such as:
- Suturing
- Casting
- Blood typing
- Respiratory therapy
- Mock trauma simulation
- Sonography
- Wound care
- Organ dissection
“My favorite part has been hearing from all the speakers,” said Chelsea Franklin, a rising junior at Little Rock Central High School who attended a MASH session in Pine Bluff. “It’s been very motivating to hear what’s involved in each specialty.”
Now in its 37th year, the MASH program is a collaboration by local, state and federal organizations, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Partnerships with area hospitals across the state are also an important part of the program.
For more information on the MASH program, visit regionalcampuses.uams.edu/mash.
