Third annual 'Doc Camp' at Mayo Clinic exposes students to reality of medicine

Monday, August 07, 2006

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A number of Phoenix area high school students spent time in surgery last week - but fortunately not as patients.

The 20 students were part of the third annual "Doc Camp" at Mayo Clinic July 31 - Aug. 4, an opportunity for local students who may be considering a career in medicine to observe Mayo Clinic physicians at work. The students were invited into areas such as the emergency department, operating room, the rehabilitation unit and neurology and oncology outpatient clinics. Hands-on clinical skills, such as suturing in a lab environment, learning CPR and practicing with surgery simulators, were part of the students' experience.

By interacting with Mayo physicians, residents and medical students, the young observers were able to spend a considerable amount of time - 17 hours - side-by-side with key medical and allied health care professionals.

"The Mayo Clinic Doc Camp is a unique opportunity for students to explore a future career in medicine, meet our physicians and learn about patient care," says Dr. Jonathan L. Carter, director of the Doc Camp program and associate professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Students were selected based on their applications, academic performance, teacher recommendation letters and personal statements.

The Doc Camp program supports a critical component of Mayo Clinic's mission: nurturing a scholarly environment of education and research. The program also provides a unique opportunity for Mayo Clinic physicians to mentor students interested in a health care career.

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. As a leading academic medical center in the Southwest, Mayo Clinic focuses on providing specialty and surgical care in more than 65 disciplines at its outpatient facility in north Scottsdale and at Mayo Clinic Hospital. The 208-licensed bed hospital is located at 56th Street and Mayo Boulevard (north of Bell Road) in northeast Phoenix, and provides inpatient care to support the medical and surgical specialties of the clinic, which is located at 134th Street and Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale.

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