Are you a student who is planning on going into the field of health care once you graduate? Do you have dreams of becoming a doctor, physician’s assistant, vet or dentist? If so, you should check out the Adrian College Institute of Health’s Pre-Health Professions Society (PHPS).
The group is for anyone going into a health care-related career. PHPS helps members apply to graduate schools and other schools that can help them further their education. The club is also a place for students to come together and discuss what they have learned and help others if they are struggling in an area of study.
The organization gives students the opportunity to be around people with the same or similar career interests and to share information that might be helpful later down the road. Also, the group provides information to those who are curious about health-related careers, but maybe aren’t quite ready to commit themselves to the field.
The PHPS provides many opportunities to its members. It hosts a number of speakers, lecturers, and trips to help the students learn. For the past three years, the group has hosted a trip to Nicaragua. The students raise money by applying for scholarships, selling T-shirts, amd bracelets, and various other forms of fundraising.
The trip lasts two weeks, and during those two weeks students are getting hands-on learning in treating patients. Nicaragua is the second-poorest country in the Western hemisphere, so the aid and medical attention from the students is greatly appreciated.
“I went the first year the trip was offered,” said senior Emily Engel. “I loved it so much that I went back on my own time and helped out again.”
The group also participates in many local events. Each year the group helps out with the blood drives that are held on campus. They also participate in the Gift of Life Competition. The competition puts colleges and universities in the state of Michigan against each other in an effort to get people to sign up to be organ donors.
Currently, AC is ranked sixth in the competition. Michigan State and Calvin College are currently the front runners.
Last year, AC won the competition. To help AC increase its standings, and hopefully win for a second year in a row, students can sign up to be an organ donor every Monday and Wednesday at the PHPS table in Ritchie during lunch. For more information on organ donation, students can visit the table in Ritchie or go to www.giftoflifemichigan.org. If you would still like to help out, but don’t want to be an organ donor, you can contact your local Red Cross.
The PHPS provides students with the necessary tools to not only choose the right health care path for them, but also help them find places to further their education.
“There are literally hundreds of different health careers,” said PHPS advisor Marcia Boynton. “The Pre-Health Professions Society and the Institute for Health Studies collaborate on educating AC students about many more areas of interest than just pre-med/pre-dent and pre-vet.”
For more information on PHPS, contact Boynton at mboynton@adrian.edu. Students can also contact Engel, president of the club, at eengel@adrian.edu.
For more information on the Institute for Health Studies please visit the office which is located at 204 Peelle Hall or call 517-265-5161 ext. 4079. You can also check out the Adrian College Institute for Health Studies Facebook page for more information on both the Institute for Health and the PHPS.