Washington Health System holds program to encourage high school students to consider careers in medicine
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Lilly Christy, who graduated from Washington High School in June, participated in a pilot program implemented by Washington Health System that gave her the chance to partner with a doctor on a medical project.
Courtesy of Washington Health System
Dr. Thivisa Rajagopal
Associated Press
Kameron Graham, left, and Nate Moore practice taping ankles on fellow student Alex Vogt during a May 8 prevention and treatment of athletic injuries class in the Millikin University Exercise Science and Sports Pavilion in Decatur, Ill.
Associated Press
Student Alexis Newbon works on her taping skills during a May 8 prevention and treatment of athletic injuries class in the Millikin University Exercise Science and Sports Pavilion in Decatur, Ill.
Lilly Christy graduated from Washington High School in June and begins her studies at Slippery Rock University this fall, where she will major in exercise science.
Christy, a student-athlete who played soccer and was kicker for the Prexies football team, plans to become a physical therapist, a career she has long considered.
But an opportunity to participate in a pilot program implemented by Washington Health System provided Christy with a chance to partner with a doctor on a medical project and cement her decision toward her chosen career path.
The program, the Health Profession Affinity Communities Pipeline project, pairs health care organizations with local high school students who are interested in careers as a physician, nurse or other health care professional.
The program is an initiative of the Family Medicine Education Consortium, a nonprofit organization that promotes family medicine in the northeast United States.
Christy and the other students who were selected for the program prepared presentations on a health topic of their choice, which they delivered at the 2018 FMEC conference held in Rye Brook, N.Y.
“It was a really good experience,” said Christy. “It was very inspiring and it made me more aware of and more focused on what I want to do for my career.”
Dr. Thivisa Rajagopal, who was a third year family medicine resident at Washington Health System, assisted Christy with her presentation, which focused on knee injuries, especially anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
Also working with Christy was Dr. Grant Phillips, Associate Director of Resident Education, who became interested in the program after he attended the 2016 FMEC conference.
“There are many students who want to become a doctor or a nurse or a physical therapist, but something – often it’s financial – prevents them from pursuing their dream,” Rajagopal said. “But they need to know this isn’t a reason to give up on those dreams.”
For Christy, selecting the topic of knee injuries was easy – and personal. The student-athlete has torn her ACL twice, and had to forego her senior year of track and field as a result.
Christy began working on her project last summer, when she began researching knee injuries and prevention, and throughout the first semester of her senior year she worked closely with Rajagopal to develop a poster that she presented at the conference.
“Dr. Rajagopal and Dr. Phillips helped me throughout the process and I can’t thank them enough,” said Christy. “And the conference made me aware of how events like that work and gave me an opportunity to make contacts and meet other students from other high schools and colleges. There were doctors who were very encouraging. I got support and encouragement from everyone, even from people I didn’t know.”
Rajagopal said the program is important because there are economically disadvantaged students from inner city and rural schools who would be excellent contributors in the health services.
“There are students who have a great deal to offer the medical profession, and who could even return home to serve their communities,” she said.