An early taste of the college experience
A group of North Texas high school students got an early taste of their potential future careers.
The University of Texas at Arlington’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation (CONHI) hosted the first Maverick Allied Health Experience (MAH-X) kickoff event, where students had the opportunity to learn more about career paths in nursing, physical therapy, sports medicine and public health.
Students from Brewer High School, Martin High School, North Dallas High School, Keller Collegiate Academy and Birdville Center of Technology and Advanced Learning took part in the inaugural event.
“This event marks the beginning of an exciting journey that will not only shape your future, but will also shape the collective health and well-being of our communities,” UTA Provost Tamara Brown said.
MAH-X is made possible through an HCA Healthcare Foundation grant from its Healthier Tomorrow Fund. The schools already have, or will have, some sort of allied health programming in their curricula.
“Exposing high school students to many of the exciting careers in health care is crucial as our industry continues to grow rapidly,” said Maria Martineau, assistant vice president for community engagement for Medical City Healthcare, the North Texas division of HCA Healthcare. “The HCA Healthcare Foundation is proud to invest in UTA and its Pipeline Project as it works to identify and inspire students who will be our next generation of caregivers.”
Students spent the day hearing from physicians from Texas Health and from UTA faculty and students. The day included a firsthand look at some of the cutting-edge technology students may get to interact with at UTA’s Smart Hospital.
“It's our hope that MAH-X participants gained a better understanding of health care career opportunities, a deeper knowledge of UTA's allied health degree tracks and the motivation to begin their academic journeys in nursing and allied health with excitement and enthusiasm,” said Candice Calhoun-Butts, CONHI assistant dean.
MAH-X is part of CONHI’s ongoing outreach efforts to increase students’ exposure to career opportunities, said Charles Johnson, CONHI’s director of recruitment. UTA is working with high schools to return to campus for specific tours of the Smart Hospital and kinesiology labs, with the goal of expanding those tours to rural high schools.