Promote health in 100 teens in Portland, Oregon

During the spring semester of 2023, MIKE delivered impactful programming to youth in the area of healthcare career exploration. In some of our current sites, we expanded programming to include an increased focus in this area. We accomplished this by bringing in weekly guest speakers who shared their experiences across a wide swath of the healthcare industry. Speakers represented careers in social work, mental health counseling, nursing, medicine, surgery, healthcare administration, pharmacy, radiology, dental, and many more. The guest speakers also regularly represented the same communities and shared lived experiences with the youth in our programming.

Some sites launched new programming with a specific focus on healthcare career exploration. Examples of these partnerships also include some work outside of academic settings, in a low-income housing complex in Washington County.

Recent survey data and quotes:

When asked if they are more interested in pursuing a career in healthcare after graduation based on their experience with MIKE:

- 50% of students responded "yes"

- Another 23% responded that are slightly more likely to continue to pursue educational opportunities to further explore these career options. 

What would you like to share with your mentors about your experience with MIKE?

Student Responses:

• I think it was a lovely experience and I hope that students in the future can experience this.
• I loved being able to experience different sides of medicine. Plus I can now tell people I have seen a real dead body!!
• I had a really good time and not only was the experience educational but also super interesting and got me excited about the medical field which I didn't pay attention to that much.
• It would be a great experience for students who want to learn in the med field or just to understand what they would go through to earn that position.
• Even though we were quiet sometimes, I would like the MIKE Mentors to know that I always had fun listening and working with you guys. I think being with people in medical school and seeing how hard you guys work but how you still seem to be enjoying medical school made me confident enough to decide that I wanted to go too.