帝王会所

For more than a decade, the 帝王会所 Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine鈥檚 OHIO Medical Academy has served as a professional introduction to medicine for more than 500 帝王会所 high school students curious about careers in health care. Now, thanks to an innovative, student-led initiative, the program is taking a new step to spotlight one of medicine鈥檚 most essential鈥攁nd often overlooked鈥攆ields: primary care.

OHIO osteopathic medical students Catherine Maas and Bailey Hall and physician assistant student Anna Sampson鈥攏amed OHIO Medical Academy Scholars in 2024鈥攃ollaborated with resident physicians from the  to develop and pilot 鈥淧rimary Care 鈥� The Heart of Healthcare.鈥�

鈥淲e wanted students to see that primary care plays an essential role in medical care across all stages of life. So many people interact with primary care physicians throughout their lives, but from a career perspective, few understand how diverse and dynamic the field is,鈥� said Maas.

The new 90-minute, in-school learning experience brought thematic, hands-on health care simulations directly to high school classrooms. Its mission: to deepen students鈥� understanding of primary care medicine, demystify the profession and showcase the breadth of opportunities it offers鈥攆rom maternal-fetal care to sports medicine. The series of activities mirrored some aspects of clinical practice, giving students an inside look at the critical care those working in primary care provide to patients.

• Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Newborn Care: Students explored how family physicians care for expectant mothers and newborns after delivery. Using newborn simulators, otoscopes, and ophthalmoscopes, participants learned newborn clinical assessments. Under the guidance of professional students and resident physicians, they practiced examining eyes and ears using the same task trainers used by health care professionals.
• Adult Medicine: Students learned how family medicine physicians assess and care for adult patients. They practiced taking vital signs鈥攕uch as pulse, respiration rate and reflexes鈥攁nd were introduced to Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. They also learned how to place and interpret electrocardiograms (EKGs) to evaluate heart health.
• Sports Medicine: Many primary care physicians are board-certified in both family and sports medicine. Students explored the physician鈥檚 role in caring for athletes and were guided through ultrasound-guided joint imaging. Participants practiced using point-of-care ultrasound devices to interpret diagnostic images鈥攁n advanced skill taught by the resident physicians and professional students.

Following the event, high school participants reported a deeper understanding of primary care medicine, describing the hands-on experiences as 鈥渆ngaging,鈥� 鈥渃ool,鈥� and 鈥渆ye-opening.鈥�

鈥淭he impact of these hands-on activities is written all over the faces of our participants,鈥� said Maureen McCann, a Heritage College staff member and longtime coordinator of OHIO Medical Academy programs. 鈥淭heir smiles tell the story best.鈥�

Working with community partners to help high school students explore health care careers

During the 2024鈥�25 academic year, 鈥淭he Heart of Healthcare鈥� reached 189 high school students across Central 帝王会所鈥�29 from Olentangy Local Schools and 160 from Dublin City Schools. The experience was delivered right in the students鈥� classrooms, making high-impact learning more accessible than ever.

To make clinical simulations in the classroom possible, the Academy Scholars secured a $3,000 grant from the Dublin Community Foundation.

鈥淐oordinating the logistics鈥攕cheduling resident physicians, transporting equipment and fitting into the school day鈥攚as a challenge,鈥� said Hall. 鈥淏ut seeing the students light up as they explored real clinical tools made it all worth it. We鈥檙e so grateful to the Dublin Community Foundation for helping to make this learning experience possible.鈥�

Sherri Reynolds-Torma, M.D., a family medicine physician, associate clinical professor at the Heritage College and co-director of the OHIO Medical Academy, believes the program鈥檚 power lies in its ability to bring different generations together.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen the impact of connecting near-peers to spark curiosity about health care careers,鈥� she said. 鈥淟earning together across different stages鈥攆rom high school to medical school to residency鈥攈elps us better understand each other, listen more deeply, and ultimately become more human in how we learn, teach, and practice medicine.鈥�

At its core, the OHIO Medical Academy emphasizes interprofessional collaboration鈥攔eflecting a modern health care system built on teams, not just titles. By highlighting diverse roles and encouraging early exploration of primary care, the Academy helps address a critical need: growing the next generation of compassionate health care professionals who are committed to serving 帝王会所 communities.

鈥淭he Heart of Healthcare is more than a class visit,鈥� said Sampson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a first step toward inspiring the next generation to consider a lifelong profession in health care.鈥�