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With paper and pens in hand, high school students spent Thursday morning identifying various herbs. They later underwent hands-on CPR training during the fourth day of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp.   

High school students from St. Louis, Madison and St. Clair counties have spent the past four days at SIUE to participating in the University’s Healthcare Diversity Summer Camp. 

The summer camp began at SIUE in 209 and targets minorities interested in pharmacy. The camp expanded to include the three healthcare professions at SIUE in 2013. On Tuesday, students spent time at the SIUE School of Nursing. On Wednesday, the students traveled to the SIU School of Dental Medicine. Thursday, the students were at the SIUE School of Pharmacy.

Thursday morning, students identified plants in SIUE’s herbal garden. In the afternoon, they spent several hours with hands-on CPR training.     

SIUE School of Pharmacy: Today’s pharmacists improve patients’ lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is nationally recognized as a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacy’s areas of excellence include drug design and discovery core; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for highly trained pharmacists in a rapidly growing field.

The SIUE School of Nursing’s fully accredited programs are committed to creating excellence in nursing leadership through innovative teaching, evidence-based practice, quality research, patient advocacy and community service. Enrolling nearly 1,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders in pursuit of shaping the nursing profession and impacting the health care environment. Through expanded programs located on the SIU Carbondale campus and SIU School of Medicine campus, the SIUE School of Nursing is helping to solve the region’s shortage of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and enhance the quality of nursing practice within hospitals and medical centers.

The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region. 

Photos:

Shown in the SIUE School of Pharmacy Herbal Garden are Kaity Sanchez (left) and Peanina Porter, both of Belleville East High School.

Taking notes and making observations are Keyvon Wilson (left) of O'Fallon Township High School in Illinois and Ziyad Ahmed of Lindberg High School in St. Louis.