News from NC Health Careers Access Program

HCAP: UNCP students perform health care internships
by Scott Bigelow, UNC-P University and Community Relations

Nine UNC Pembroke students performed Clinical Health Internships this summer through the North Carolina Health Career Access Program (HCAP).

It was a diverse group of students who, like Nyeisha Bradley, dared to test uncharted waters. Bradley, whose ambition is to become a flight medic, worked on a Robeson County ambulance.

"Every morning before going out, we checked the truck, medicines and equipment," she said.

After the routines were performed, the excitement began. Bradley went everywhere and saw it all.

"I saw a lot of Robeson County," she said. "You never know what you're going to get in this job.

"You might get a call for one thing, and it turns out completely different," Bradley said. "You have to be ready."

"The goal of the internships is to make students ready for careers in health care," said Sylvia Johnson, UNCP HCAP director.

"This was a very diverse group that was exposed to a variety of experiences in health care," Johnson said. "An internship with the EMS and with an optometric clinic were firsts for our program." Read more

2010 UNC-Pembroke CHSP Participants and Placement Sites:

Ismael Abdelaziz - a junior from Lumberton, N.C., interned at Collins, Lowery and Sampson Dentistry

Nyeisha Bradley - a senior from Greensboro, N.C., interned at Robeson County Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Caitlin Bullard - a junior from Pembroke, interned with Pembroke Pediatrics

Elicia Dellinger - a junior from Pembroke, interned with Pembroke Optometric Center

Sharissa Dice - a sophomore from Havelock, N.C., interned at Waters Drugs

Daisy Irra - a junior from St. Pauls, N.C., interned with Parkton Family Medical Center

Nicholas Locklear - a junior from Maxton, N.C., interned with The Medicine Shoppe

Lauren Marshall - a senior from Troutman, N.C., interned for Southeastern Regional Medical Center

Janki Patel - a junior from Fayetteville, N.C., interned at Robeson Health Care Corp.

News from NC-HCAP at NC Central

Eight NCCU students also participated in NC-HCAP's CHSP program on their campus this summer. They were each placed with preceptors at Duke University Medical Center in Durham.

2010 participants were:

Stephanie Carter - Harris & Smith, OB-GYN

Deborah Goffney - Duke Hypertension Center and Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, Duke University and Health Systems

Marion Lorpue Grant - Pediatric Neurology, Duke University and Health Systems

Tacoya Harris - Dept. Occupational Therapy, Duke University and Health Systems

Torey Hunter - Outpatient Pharmacy, Duke University and Health Systems

Daren Matthews - Internal Medicine, Veteran's Administration Hospital

Sheresa Mills - Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, Duke University and Health Systems

Carla Perry - Harris & Smith OB/GYN

News from NC-HCAP at Elizabeth City State University

Tyler Thompson, a rising senior biology major in the School of Mathematics, Science and Technology at ECSU participated in the Kaplan PCAT program this past summer through an NC-HCAP progam. Tyler has been active with a number of enrichment programs sponsored by NC-HCAP, including the 2009 SEP Program. He has worked closely with the NC-HCAP office to remain focused on his goal of becoming a pharmacist, and with the mentoring of Dr. Lastasha Weeks this past semester, is more committed than ever to seeing this become a reality. Thompson was recently accepted into pharmacy school at Campbell University.

*Information courtesy of the respective centers.