UAMS Welcomes Hall High Students for Career Workshop
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) hosted 15 students from the Hall-West High School of Innovation for a Nov. 18 workshop that focused on workplace conduct and career exploration.
The workshop was organized by UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships as part of its Research Academic Mentorship Pathway program. For seniors at Hall High’s health sciences academy, the program provides opportunities to meet with representatives from UAMS’ five colleges and graduate school and to build the skills they’ll need for college and career.
The event began with a one-hour seminar on “The Art of Professional Communication.” Nicholas Pettus, manager of student recruitment for UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships, and Bridgette Edmondson, a program facilitator, talked about workplace conflicts as well as strategies to deescalate those situations.
Pettus told the students that their demeanor will play a big role in determining how far they advance in their careers.
Nicholas Pettus, manager of student recruitment for UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships, speaks to the teens during a seminar on “The Art of Professional Communication.”
“Every action you take sends out ripples — make sure yours inspire others to go further, reach higher and dream bigger,” he said. “One positive person can change the whole vibe of the room, so why not be that person?”
Edmondson conducted a set of exercises that encouraged the students to think about how they would react to negativity from co-workers. She cited examples of effective responses that included accepting negativity without retaliating, avoiding interaction with those co-workers or addressing the situation in a productive manner.
She and Pettus noted that the teens can also use those strategies to guide their interactions with parents, friends and peers.
“Professional communication can change your life,” Edmondson said.
After a break for lunch, the students participated in a series of activities from the Division of Clinical Anatomy in the College of Medicine’s Department of Neuroscience. At several tables, the teens learned about the structures of such major organs as the lungs, heart and brain. Nearby, a pathology station examined how those organs are affected by disease or injury.
Another station explored some of the ways that ultrasound imaging is used in diagnosis and treatment. The students tested handheld ultrasound scanners by examining their pulse through the wrists and neck.
Erica Malone, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience, said these types of activities can have a life-changing impact. She said her own career aspirations began with a high school trip to an anatomy lab, where she held specimens of the heart and brain and visualized how those organs control the systems that keep the body functioning.
A student uses a handheld ultrasound scanner to examine her pulse.
“It’s extremely important that we reach out to students and make health careers a little less abstract for them,” she said. “The idea of becoming a doctor can be very intimidating at this point in their lives. We wanted to give them a chance to meet the medical students and faculty and see that they’re capable of pursuing a career in this field.”
Hall High students will return to UAMS in the spring for an event that offers job-shadowing experiences and networking opportunities. Previous events included a workshop that featured mock interviews and a lesson on how to prepare a resume.
Edmondson urged students to use the program to build connections with the health professionals they meet at UAMS.
“Someone here might one day become a job reference for you,” she said.
The mission of UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships is to broaden access to UAMS’ academic programs and increase the health care workforce. The department strives to ensure that all Arkansans have access to STEM educational opportunities, with a focus on cultivating and training health professionals.