Sweltering 95-degree heat couldn’t keep potential CPHS students away from this year’s BullD.O.G.S. in Healthcare camp. In fact, student evaluations indicated a strong desire to have the camp extend from 3 days to a week.
Jessica Lang, Director of Enrollment Services, said the turnout for the June 28-30 camp was fantastic, and students came ready to soak in all that CPHS has to offer.
“We had 24 participants from grades 10-12, with the majority being rising seniors who will be applying for admission in the coming year,” Lang said. “Their registrations showed a variety of areas of interest including pharmacy, OT and AT, as well as other health professions like physical therapy, nursing, and healthcare administration.”
The BullD.O.G.S. in Healthcare program introduces students to careers in the health professions by educating them about opportunities in health sciences and inspiring them to explore different pathways. Students participate in hands-on laboratory experiences, educational sessions, and interactive discussions with students and faculty.
Events on this year’s agenda included a campus scavenger hunt, a visit to Mercy Medical Center, and an Iowa Cubs game. Students were also exposed to the healthcare programs at CPHS and introduced to faculty and current students.
“Activities that were rated the highest on the evaluations included the breakout labs within the different healthcare professions on Friday and Saturday morning,” Lang said. “Athletic training and occupational therapy were especially popular.”
Lang said the camp will have an impact on whether or not the participants decide to apply to Drake.
“We won’t know for sure until the application cycle starts, but based on feedback from the evaluations, it seems like quite a few of the rising seniors intend to apply to Drake as a result of participating in this camp.”
The enrollment services team is already brainstorming ideas for next year.
Lang said, “We have ideas for future camps to incorporate more of our partnerships at other healthcare schools, like Des Moines University, and offer programming related to the fields they offer as well.”