‘A valuable opportunity’

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine partnered with Oakland University and Oakland Schools once again to host the 6th Annual Careers in Healthcare event.

Held this spring at Oakland University, the event welcomed more than 300 students from local schools – including Pontiac, Lamphere, Avondale, and Ferndale – to learn about career opportunities in healthcare. The day featured interactive sessions designed to introduce eighth- and ninth-grade students to the wide array of opportunities and subjects in healthcare.

Co-sponsored by OUWB, OU Pre-College Programs, Oakland County Links Inc., and Oakland Schools Career Readiness, the event provided students the chance to engage in hands-on activities, learn from health care professionals, and tour a college campus – a meaningful experience for many first-time visitors.

Students rotated between sessions held in the Oakland Center Founders Ballrooms, Oakland Center Banquet Room, and O’Dowd Hall, covering topics such as hands-only CPR, neuroscience, healthcare in Ghana, radiology, infection prevention, nutrition, and neuroethics. The sessions were led by OUWB staff and faculty as well as professionals from Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospitals.

Patty Adolfs, K-12 career readiness consultant, Oakland Schools, emphasized the importance of early career exposure to career possibilities.

“The Careers in Healthcare partnership provides a valuable opportunity for students to explore a wide range of career paths in healthcare. Through engaging, hands-on, and problem-based learning experiences led by OUWB medical students and industry professionals, participants gain practical insights into the field,” said Adolfs.

“Additionally, campus tours guided by these medical students offer high school attendees — some seeing a college campus for the first time — a meaningful introduction to the academic and professional opportunities available at Oakland University and the healthcare industry.”

Adolfs also noted that experiences like these play a crucial role in helping middle school students start thinking about their futures.

“Students will need to make a decision in a few years on what direction they will go in after graduation, this can help them either select or eliminate possibilities and explore further,” said Adolfs. “It is very important for students to think about their interests, find out what exists out there for jobs, and know what is changing in our world and how it can affect their future careers. This event is one way to help students take steps in the process of career planning.”

Trixy Hall, coordinator, Graduate Programs and Community Outreach at OUWB, echoed the importance of early exposure.

“I hope students leave this event feeling inspired and excited about the many different paths they can take in healthcare and feel confident that these careers are within their reach,” said Hall. “It's all about early exposure. By introducing students to healthcare in an engaging, hands-on way, we are planting seeds that can grow into future ambitions.”

She added, “I remember at this age I had no idea what careers were available. This event matters to me because it's a chance to give students something I wish I had, real insight and inspiration. It's about sparking curiosity and giving them a sense of purpose and showing them that no matter their background, there's a path into healthcare for them.”

Brian Felice, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, leads a session during the event.

Brooklyn Meadows, a student from Ferndale, found the experience enjoyable and helpful for her future career aspirations. Interested in becoming an anesthesiologist, Meadows said the event provided valuable insights into the practical aspects of working in healthcare.

“It's helpful because it gives you an experience of what you have to go through in the future,” said Meadows. “Seeing medical students here – it’s cool.”

Alyssa Fisher, a student from Avondale, said she appreciated the neuroscience session, even if she’s still exploring which path to follow.

“We were in a neuroscience class, and we learned about neurosurgery and about hemorrhagic stroke and insomnia. The professor was talking about how memory is an important part of the brain, and how sometimes it can stop working once you get older,” said Fisher. “I wanted to attend to see if I could have a future here.”

Patrick Lewis, a student from Avondale, said the event helped him understand the importance of brain health, especially as someone interested in playing football.

“Before I got here, I did not know anything about neuroscience or about the brain,” said Lewis. “For him to teach me was very helpful, because I want to play football in the future. I learned a lot about the brain today. Football players can get concussions and CTEs (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), so for me to know a lot about the brain, I feel more prepared.”

Siiri Bell, a teacher at Avondale, said events like these are essential for connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunities.

“It's good to get students out of the classroom and talking to people in the field – either professors or doctors – who share their experiences and inspire students,” said Bell. “Sometimes they realize, ‘I know I want to do that,’ or ‘Nope, that's not for me.’ It's cool to see them start to put together what their future might look like.”

She also noted how impactful it is for students to see healthcare careers in action.

“Kids will listen to you in the classroom, but seeing it in person, it's just a whole other level. It helps them realize things are more real and puts things into perspective in a different way,” said Bell. “STEM and the medical field are so broad, so even if they know they want to go into that field, hearing a few different specialties helps them start to realize they have to narrow it down at some point to things that they might be interested in. It might speak to them in terms of what they might want to specialize in in the future.”