Youth Programs

Summer Health Academy
NMMC's Summer Health Academy meets from 8 a.m. until noon June 2-6, 2008. Students who are interested in pursuing a health career and have completed the sixth, seventh or eighth grade are eligible. Participation is limited to 25 students who will be selected on the basis of academic achievement, community service and desire to enter a health profession. The deadline is Friday, April 18, to submit applications, transcripts and two letters of recommendation.

NMMC's Summer Health Academy will introduce students to various careers in health care while reinforcing positive lifestyle choices. Participants will spend four hours each day with nurses and other health care professionals who are eager to share their expertise and enthusiasm.

Students will tour several nursing units at NMMC, as well as the Wellness Center. Because enrollment is limited, students will be able to interact one-on-one with nurses, physicians, radiologic technologists, pharmacists, physical therapists and other health care staff.

The fee for Summer Health Academy is $50, which includes educational materials, a T-shirt, snacks and Friday lunch. Applications are available at area schools and by calling the NMMC Employment Services Department at (662) 377-3245 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375). Students who are selected to participate will be notified in early May.

Click here to download a Summer Health Academy brochure and application in PDF.

Click here for recent participants.

Job Shadowing
Job shadowing allows you to explore various health careers to see firsthand what each career involves. To arrange an appointment, contact Rosalyn Campbell, Career Counselor, at (662) 377-3245.

Nurse Mentorship Academy
Summer offered very little break for area students who graduated from from North Mississippi Medical Center's first Nurse Mentorship Academy.

Nineteen students from Lee and Prentiss counties were selected to attend classes after school twice a week for eight weeks. One day each week involved class lecture, while the other featured guest speakers, life skills, job shadowing and volunteering. NMMC provided participants with a uniform, T-shirt and shoes.

Beginning in June, each participant received 80 hours of paid certified nursing assistant training. This training prepares participants to take the certification exam in July and gives them a head start on an exciting career in health care.

Brooke Collins, a recent Tupelo High School graduate, knows that giving up part of her summer will be worth it in the long run. "Just to have the experience of learning things that most 18-year-olds don't learn is great," said Collins, who headed to Mississippi State University in August to take prerequisites for a degree in physical therapy or nursing. "This program has played a big part in my decision-making about my college and career."

Collins also realizes that the contacts she is making now may prove helpful later. "I am meeting lots of people," she said, "and when I apply to PT or nursing school, I will need recommendations from some of them."

Her former THS classmate, Mary Claire Bell, is now studying nursing this fall at the University of Mississippi. Bell knew nursing was the career for her after taking anatomy and physiology in the 11th grade. "This summer I've learned how to take blood pressure and pulse," she said. "It was hard at first, but they work with you individually until you get it."

A self-professed medical TV junkie who's especially fond of "ER," Bell says, "The medical terms that I've heard before, now they make sense."

For THS graduate Natasha Burrell, the Nurse Mentorship Academy is just another step in her well-planned future. "I have known since the fourth grade that I wanted to go into medicine, with the goal of becoming a pediatrician," she said. "I have always wanted to help people."

In high school, Burrell participated in the Allied Health curriculum and placed first in the statewide skills competition. She has also shadowed Tupelo pediatrician Ed Ivancic, M.D., to learn from his expertise.

Not only does learning the proper way to bathe a patient hone caregiver skills, it also pays dividends. With her newly acquired training, Burrell hopes to work part-time as a certified nursing assistant while studying nursing at the University of North Alabama this fall. "Definitely to help pay for college," she said.

Charlotte Murphy, RN, nurse assistant orientation and training instructor at NMMC, has worked closely with the group. "This program introduces them to reality in a lot of ways," she said. "Being certified nursing assistants will help them get into nursing school. It gives them a jump on life."

NMMC will host a Pinning Ceremony and reception for the graduates June 30, 2008, at 7pm.

The NMMC Nurse Mentorship Academy was made possible by grants from the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi and the Bower Foundation of Mississippi. Applications for the 2009 program will be available in high school guidance offices and from the NMMC Employment Services Department. Students are selected based upon letters of recommendation, grades, an essay and interview. For more information, call (662) 377-3245, (662) 377-7808 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375).

Click here for recent participants.

Physician Shadowing
Students in the Physician Shadowing Program must have completed their second year of college in pursuit of a medical career. During the program, they spend time with family physicians, surgeons, radiologists, cardiologists and emergency physicians. The Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi funds the program through the P.K. Thomas Jr., M.D., Endowed Scholarship Fund. Each student receives hourly compensation, a lab coat and support materials. For more information, call (662) 377-3245 or 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375).

Click here to download a Physician Shadowing brochure in PDF.

Click here for an online application.

Click here for recent participants.