Augmenting Reality: Building the Health Profession Pipeline

The Medical Education department of Maine Medical Center strives to grow the next generation of medical professionals to serve the people of the state of Maine. We seek to engage students in underrepresented populations and in areas of high need. Our pilot program will target refugee and economically disadvantaged high school students in York and Cumberland Counties in fall 2018 and expand to the 95 Knox and Waldo Counties of the midcoast region in 2019. To this end, we hope to engage high school students with augmented reality technology and anatomy software, along with supportive educational materials. Resources such as MedlinePlus's health career information and interactive exhibits from NLM will enrich the 2 hour workshop we will offer. The program will be led by the pipeline program manager, a medical librarian, a medical student and the high school teacher liaison. Additional support will be available as needed from our simulation lab staff and information systems staff.