COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences summer camp aims to help high school students get a sense of various health care professions through hands-on activities.

Sonograms are one of the many things kids like Lucy Witt learn at the camp.

“In general, I think the medical sciences are quite cool so I haven’t quite decided what particularly I’m interested in,” said Witt, who will be a junior at Metro Early College High School in the fall. 

While most kids know from an early age, they want to be a doctor, Witt decided later in life. She used to be freaked out by the idea of death, injury and blood, but down the line, her fear piqued an interest.

Now, she wants to be first in line to try sonogram machines and occupational therapy tools. 

Witt isn’t the only one who got a late start in medicine. Noah Williams wanted to be a firefighter until he realized the impact he could make with medicine.

“I got interested in medicine after I got into a few injuries in football and I selected the medical field, athletic training, physical therapy,” said Williams, who will be a senior at Harvest Preparatory Academy in the fall. 

The HRS camp wants to expose underrepresented groups to various health care professions. 

The two-day camp will explore the world of radiologic sciences, physical therapy, occupational therapy and more. It incorporates hands-on activities when groups of kids visit each profession, to help them get a feel for them.

Ajit Chaudhari, an HRS professor at OSU, said peaking interest now will hopefully result in a more diverse workforce in the future.

“As our patient population becomes more diverse, it’s really important that we as a profession represent that and so if we can get them interested in it in high school then that’s really important because that gives them a passion and motivation,” said Chaudhari. 

Students like Witt and Willams prepare for their future. Witt will apply to the college credit plus program this fall, and OSU is on her shortlist.

“It was fitting that I would come to one of the schools I applied to for CCP and try to learn what I can about less mainstream professions,” said Witt. 

For Williams, the summer is pivotal. He said it’s not only about the preparation but the networking and he hopes to fine-tune what he wants to major in, in college.

“I see peers that want to do the same thing I want to do,” said Williams. “It’s good not just to get other people’s feedback but to see how other people want to do it too.” 

The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has already confirmed it will host the camp again next summer.