Story by Christina Carbone, PA S-I.
On Saturday, February 6th, several Yale PA students, alumni, and faculty joined together to teach local high school students about what it means to embark on a career as a Physician Assistant through a program called HPREP. Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program, or HPREP, is a Saturday morning enrichment program for students in and around New Haven who are interested in learning about careers in healthcare. The morning began with a brief presentation outlining the role of a PA on a healthcare team. Immediately following the presentation, students were given the opportunity to talk with first and second year PA students, faculty members, and practicing clinicians about their personal experiences. Everyone was impressed by the high school students' curiosity and level of engagement. The second half of the morning focused heavily on teaching the students clinical skills such as vital signs, basic interpretation of a chest x-ray, and stroke assessments. The students were enthusiastic about applying these new skills to a few case studies at the end of the session. At the conclusion of the session, HPREP students presented their college essays to volunteers for feedback. Altogether, HPREP "PA Day" was a resounding success. Many thanks to the help of our inspiring volunteers.