HCPSS Academy of Health Professions Students Gain Real-World Insights from Healthcare Expert

October 18th, 2023

As part of the HCPSS Academy of Health Professions (AHP) in-class experience, students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field are given the opportunity to hear directly from professionals in the medical community. HCPSS has collaborated with the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center (HCMC) to bring in guest speakers and provide other learning opportunities for AHP students.

The first guest speaker of the 2023–2024 school year was Jeanette T.M. Nazarian, MD, Vice President of Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer, who spoke in the class of Christy Smith, BSN, RN, CEN, earlier in October. The presentation also was broadcast to six other AHP classes at the Applications and Research Laboratory.

“HCPSS has an unwavering commitment to nurturing the healthcare leaders of tomorrow and our partnership with HCMC is a beacon of collaboration,” says Smith. “By bringing in guest speakers like Dr. Nazarian, we offer real-world insights to our AHP students, which not only enriches their education, but strengthens the bridge between education and industry.”

Dr. Nazarian spent most of the class period fielding a wide variety of questions from students about her training and background, the challenging aspects of her job, what it’s like working in an Intensive Care Unit, what’s most important when treating patients, where improvements in healthcare can occur, and how students can make the most of opportunities.

“Anything you can do to have exposure to the healthcare field will help you. You all have such an advantage with the classes you’re taking now,” advised Dr. Nazarian. “Take people up on their offers to shadow them and talk to as many people in healthcare as possible. You never know what you might find that you’ll be interested in.”

Jasmine Gaskins, a junior at Reservoir High School, said, “Listening to Dr. Nazarian’s presentation taught me that it’s really important to build connections with the people around you so that working in a group setting is easier and you get a better outcome for patient care.”

“Hearing from Dr. Nazarian helps me understand more of a leadership role because that’s what I want to do in healthcare,” said Janelle Codrington, a junior at Oakland Mills High School. “I want to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, so it helps me to see what leadership looks like and what her job entails in dealing with other people.”

In addition to hearing from professionals in the field, students in the AHP learn about the world of medicine, get hands-on training in basic medical skills, and are exposed to specialized health fields to help them choose a specific pathway to pursue.

“Guest speakers like Dr. Nazarian help us get a better understanding of different fields,” said Nihitha Yeluguri, a junior at Howard High School. “Sometimes it’s hard to connect with people in our community because they’re busy, so having this opportunity is good for us to be able to ask questions and get to know more to see if it’s a field we want to work in.”

Learn more about the HCPSS Academy of Health Professions online.