Future Healthcare Workers Get Hands-On Experience at Sentara Summer Camp

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – At first glance, it looked like a typical hospital simulation: blinking mannequins, beeping monitors, and focused students practicing CPR and drawing blood. But for 14-year-old students like those in the room at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, it was a first glimpse into what a future career in medicine might look like.

Sixteen rising 8th and 9th graders from Prince William County Public Schools spent a week at the hospital as part of the Sentara Healthcare Career Camp, a free summer program designed to expose youth to the wide array of healthcare professions beyond just doctors and nurses.

“A lot of young people, when they think of a career in medicine… they think, oh, yeah, there’s a doctor and there’s a nurse,” said Jon Radulovic, spokesman for the hospital. “But in actuality, there are careers that span the whole hospital.”

Throughout the week, students rotated through departments such as imaging, respiratory care, surgery, heart and vascular, and pharmacy. In the simulation lab, they practiced drawing blood from prosthetic arms, learned how to detect stroke symptoms, and suited up in full PPE to learn about infection prevention.

“The coolest thing is they have a simulation lab, and they have these mannequins that are really realistic,” said 14-year-old Afomia Asfaw, who will attend Osbourn Park High School in the fall. “One of the mannequins, they blinked, and I got scared.”

The students came from schools across the county, including Rippon Middle School, Marsteller Middle School, and Potomac High School. Many were drawn to the program by personal experiences with family in the medical field.

“My mom had a stroke,” said 13-year-old Christopher Brown II, a rising eighth grader at Marsteller Middle School. “So I wanted to learn more about the medical field and how to look for stuff at home, like symptoms of different sicknesses.”

Lorraine Gyamfi, 13, who also attended Rippon Middle School and is headed to Osbourn Park, said her sister’s experience inspired her in the school’s biomedical program.

“Originally, I just always wanted to be a doctor because it’s very interesting, like how the hospital works and stuff like that,” she said. “That made me want to go there, and also for the nursing program later on in high school.”

The camp was first launched at Sentara hospitals in 2023 in response to a growing concern about the shortage of healthcare workers following the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the second summer the program has been hosted in Woodbridge, part of a broader effort to encourage students—especially those who may have limited exposure to the healthcare system—to consider careers in science, technology, and medicine.

“We’re looking down the road—by 2036, there are going to be millions of vacancies for healthcare providers,” said Radulovic. “Who’s going to be taking care of us when we’re going to need a lot of that care?”

Each day started with breakfast in the hospital’s conference center, followed by a full day of learning and exploration. By Friday afternoon, students were ready to present what they had learned during a graduation ceremony with their families.

For Aleah Cody, 14, who’s headed to Potomac High School, the week opened her eyes to the many options available in medicine.

“I know I want to do something in the medical field,” she said. “Right now, I think anesthesiology is what I want to do, but I’m still deciding.”