Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist recently hosted 40 high school students from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools’ Department of Career and Technical Education for a neurology mentorship program.
The event provided students enrolled in health sciences courses with hands-on experience in various areas of neurology, led by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Wake Forest University School of Medicine neurology faculty members, residents, and staff.
The students were able to measure nerve and muscle function using nerve conduction and ultrasound, learn how to quickly evaluate someone with stroke symptoms, observe an EEG (a diagnostic test that records the brain’s electrical activity) to help diagnose and manage epilepsy, take part in neuropsychological testing used in epilepsy, and discover how Botox is used to treat migraine and muscle spasticity – complete with the opportunity to practice on a manikin.
“We want these young people to see themselves in us and know that it’s well within their reach,” said Dr. Christian Robles, a neurologist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and an assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “By partnering with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, we are giving these students opportunities they may not otherwise have, while helping them build relationships with our health care system.”
The school system said this mentorship opportunity at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is a great example of the partnerships they form with local organizations and businesses to support students in their future career ambitions.
“Our goal is to show our students there are many approaches to their career aspirations and to help them understand what is required for them to achieve their goals and dreams,” said Mary Phillips, school to career coordinator in the department of career and technical education (CTE) at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. “We want to help them expand and enhance their knowledge through work-based learning, internships and apprenticeships, and this opportunity provides incredible hands-on experience at a major medical center.”
High schoolers from Atkins, East Forsyth, Glenn, Kennedy, Mount Tabor, North Forsyth, Reagan and Walkertown participated in the mentorship program at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
“The value of this mentorship opportunity is immeasurable and it is beyond essential to contribute to the next generation and help them succeed,” Phillips said.
Robles was impressed with the students’ engagement and hopes the experience will inspire a few of them to pursue a career in health care.
“It would be wonderful to one day see some of these individuals return through the doors of our medical center – not as visitors, but as medical students or clinicians, ready to serve our community as part of our team,” Robles said.
