Regenerative Medicine Minnesota (RMM) helps provide educational opportunities for young people who express an interest in pursuing a career in medicine. This year, RMM distributed education grants to HealthForce Minnesota’s “Scrubs camps” initiative to educate hundreds of middle and high school students about growing, vital health care fields.
These camps, which included 450 attendees, immersed students in interactive sessions that spanned a variety of health care professions. 50 percent of the students attended on scholarships, funded in part by RMM. They attended camps in Rochester, Winona, and Saint Paul.
Student experiences included activities and sessions on regenerative medicine, anatomy, chiropractic medicine, physiology, EMS simulation, medical devices, simulated birthing, telemedicine, caring for elderly patients, and other health science opportunities.
RMM strives to provide as many opportunities to young people as possible to learn more about regenerative medicine, and because of the funding opportunities awarded to low-income students, participation rates rose substantially. As regenerative medicine is a field with seemingly unlimited possibilities, it is essential for young people to learn about the science behind regenerative medicine, as well as how they can be a part of this growing workforce.
Recipients of RMM scholarships wrote thank-you letters to express how grateful they were to attend the Scrubs camp. Here are a few examples of what the students had to say:
“…with the hands-on experience from Scrubs camp, I know that I would love to work in the medical field and help patients directly in the future.” – Jessica Thao (Freshman, St. Cloud State University)
“In the future I can definitely see myself going into the medical field. Scrubs camp has been such an eye opener.” – DaShonda Smith (Junior, Rochester Alternative Learning Center)