On Friday, October 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Esperanza College will hold its 10th Minority Health Sciences Symposium, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to young people and its goal of inspiring them to pursue careers in the health field. This goal is important because a more diverse health care industry can help reduce health disparities.
The first symposium marked the beginning of the Associate Degree program in Health Sciences at Esperanza College. Approximately 100 students participated in that first event. Over time, the symposium has grown in the number of students, the space used, and the number of volunteers and organizations that provide activities that day. During the period when the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to safely gather large groups, the symposium was held virtually.
Over the past 10 years, approximately 2,000 students have been impacted by the symposium. Topics highlighted have included cardiovascular diseases and the cardiovascular system, COVID-19, diabetes, metabolic diseases, mental health, and cancer. Experts in these areas, working in different roles in the industry, have shared not only their work but also their life experiences and the process they followed to reach their current professional positions, serving as role models for students.
This year, the focus will be sports medicine. The keynote speaker, Dr. Jorge Aguilar, is Director of Mental Health and Sports Performance and a professor of psychiatry at Montefiore Einstein. Dr. Aguilar is also a consultant for the major leagues of baseball and soccer. His extensive and diverse experience will surely capture the attention of young people and open their eyes to the opportunities and options available to them.
There will also be group sessions featuring panels on different careers in the health field. The panelists include a diverse group of health professionals, scientists, and students preparing to enter the field.
At the request of attendees, this year the final part of the event, the hands-on activities, will last longer. During this time, students will be able to perform dissections, extract their own DNA, and interact with modern technology to learn about the human body, including the “Anatomage” virtual dissection table. They will learn about dental care, nutrition, and how the eyes work. They will also participate in simulations and learn how to splint an arm, open airways, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and more.
We thank the event’s sponsors: Health Promotion Council and Cities for Better Health, Jefferson, Santander, IBX, Penn Dental Medicine, and Fox Chase Cancer Center. Without them, this event would not be possible.
We expect approximately 400 high school students representing several schools in the area, including Esperanza Academy, Esperanza Cyber Charter, and several schools in the School District of Philadelphia. We invite interested students to register using the code in the event announcement in this issue.