This week, Hennepin Healthcare celebrated our 2024 Talent Garden interns and the end of their six week program of EMS training plus shadowing physicians, nurses, and providers across the healthcare system. "Since this internship, I've realized how many career opportunities there are for me within medicine." Said Juunah K., who had wanted to become a physician since she was young. "It's important for patients to see [providers] that look like them and understand them. [The Talent Garden] gives young people of color the opportunity and resources to become a healthcare professional." The Talent Garden's mission is to inspire and support historically excluded youth to pursue careers in healthcare. In the three years of the Talent Garden summer internship, 65 high school students have finished the program, and 100% of the interns have passed their Emergency Medical Responder Exam to receive EMR and CPR credentials. "The internship was a one of a kind of experience. It helped prepare us for college, allowing us to be EMR certified and shadowing many different departments and healthcare professionals." Said Matea R., who has an interest in working in emergency medicine.
Since the start of the program, our Hennepin Healthcare team has provided 772 shadowing days—allowing the interns to see areas like Radiology, the Emergency Department, and surgery up close. "One of my favorite experiences was shadowing in GI. I was in the OR for an endoscopy." Nayeli M. recalls. "Before the procedure, we talked about it, and the doctor gave a lesson about the anatomy of the procedure. Afterward, we debriefed, and I could still picture exactly how the procedure was supposed to go and how it went. The doctor was really engaging and made the experience very memorable." Nayeli is a senior this fall and is considering medical school, a career in orthopedics, or a doctorate in physical therapy.
Each of this year's interns began the connection to the Hennepin Healthcare Talent Garden by attending one of our Saturday Youth Summits where they heard from a panel of healthcare professionals and engaged in hands-on activities using real medical equipment. During their 11th or 12th grade year, they applied for the internship, submitted a letter of recommendation from a teacher and were interviewed before selection for the summer program. "Spending time with these Talent Garden interns is like an injection of hope for the future of healthcare," Health Equity Program Development Manager Jim Peters told the group after he gave each intern their own copy of Gray's Anatomy and a completion certificate. Program coach and engineering teacher Jeff Trinh-Sy echoed those words: "Hope and joy are the words of the hour. Every provider, every guest speaker, every leader in this program- they're so joyful, they're so excited to be part of this because we all know this is what makes a difference. This is what creates a change. This is what makes the world right."
