On Friday 5th July we held our inaugural Healthcare Heroes: Boys Into Healthcare Careers activity day. The event was attended by over 40 year 9 males students from local schools including Harborne Academy, Plantsbrook School, Rockwood Academy and Holte School. Currently in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences male students only comprise ~27 % of our undergraduate intake (2018/19). The aim of this event was to raise the aspirations of students currently underrepresented in healthcare professions to study at university and to pursue a career in healthcare.
The boys attending the day participated in a range of hands-on activities including basic life support training from our own undergraduate students, clinical skills from our School of Nursing, exercise testing in our teaching laboratories and battlefield first aid provided by the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) located in the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The boys also heard from two Healthcare Heroes about their roles as nurses in the emergency department and ITU, their education and training, and their roles in the army.
Would you consider a career in healthcare after attending Healthcare Heroes?
“Maybe, because healthcare offers many jobs that I didn’t know were associated with healthcare.”
There was additional excitement on the day when we all had to evacuate the building for a fire alarm. The boys carried this out calmly and maturely, demonstrating they already possess some of the attributes necessary for working in healthcare. We hope to see many of them studying with us in the future.
College of Medical and Dental Sciences Outreach and Widening Participation – find out more
