Conway Regional plans summer careers program; deadline to apply April 15

Conway Regional Health System is accepting applications from Faulkner County students who will be entering the 11th or 12th grade and are interested in exploring careers in health care for a one-week, Community Health Applied Medical Service (CHAMPS) program.  

The Conway CHAMPS program, which is a one-week version of the UAMS’s MASH program, will be held July 10-14 on the Conway Regional campus.

During the CHAMPS program, students will participate in hands-on activities including dissection, casting/suturing and earning certification in CPR. Students will also job shadow health professionals in family and internal medicine, nursing, pharmacology, laboratory sciences, physical/occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, radiology, radiation therapy, kinesiology and ophthalmology.

“We are excited to provide such an intense learning environment for Faulkner County students for the first time at Conway Regional,” said Angie Longing, Conway Regional’s Chief Nursing Officer. “This is a great opportunity for these students to experience first-hand what everyday life is like in the health care field.”

The deadline for applications is Saturday, April 15.

There is no cost for students accepted into the program, but it is limited to 10 students, determined competitively based on the following criteria.

Application requirements:

•    Must have been a high school sophomore or junior during the fall 2016 semester

•    Have a 3.5 or higher grade point average.

•    Supply written recommendations from a high school health or science teacher and a high school counselor.

•    Be able to attend the full, one-week program, which will meet from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, July 10-14 — although depending on field trip schedules, students may need to arrive at 7 a.m. on some days.

Applications for the 2017 CHAMPS Program may be picked up in a high school counselor’s office or at the Conway Regional Health Foundation. Online applications and more information about the program are available at ConwayRegional.org/CHAMPSCamp.

For questions about the program, contact CHAMPS director Lori Reynolds, RN, at 501.513.5800 or [email protected].

The CHAMPS program is made possible thanks to support from a partnership that includes Arkansas Farm Bureau.