June 30, 2009
The HealthKick Program has opened many doors for local youths in Huron County since its creation in 2005. Based out of Seaforth Ontario, HealthKick encourages youth to pursue healthcare careers in rural areas, as well as develop skills of the current healthcare workforce through its innovative initiatives.
One of those initiatives being the MedQUEST Program, a partnership program with the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Western Ontario, is designed to provide students with realistic experiences in the field of healthcare using state-of-the-art advanced simulator training, peer workshops, and the opportunity to watch healthcare professionals in a clinical setting. Students and the medical professionals they shadow have all good things to say about the MedQUEST Program, stressing the importance of hands on experience in the healthcare field.
Through the Rural Healthcare Work Placements Program, the local healthcare community is participating in mentoring youth in these healthcare career experiences. This builds a stronger training and development culture in their workplaces. Laura Overholt, Project Manager of HealthKick, is pleased with the success of the program stating, “People are really starting to understand what this initiative is trying to accomplish and they’re taking a real interest in participating.”
HealthKick exposes youth to the idea of “grow your own investment”, in which students come to the realization that there are well paying careers available in the county. It is the hope that this awareness will entice them to return to practice in Huron County once they have achieved their educational goals. Between the 1013 students exposed to healthcare careers through job fairs/school visits and the 3335 visits made to the HealthKick website, students are becoming more aware of the program and its services.
For more information, contact:
Laura Overholt – Project Manager
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