10 SUMMER ’23 id your teen pretend to be a doctor or nurse as a child? Was your house covered in bandages and ice packs? High school students interested in the medical field can learn and receive hands-on experience with Summer Scrubs, a camp based in downtown Phoenix. Before it was known as Summer Scrubs, it was called Med-Start Phoenix and was modified by the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson. “There wasn’t one specific person who came up with the program,” Admissions Officer Chip Young said. “We wanted The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix to stand out, and creating pipeline programming specific to our campus was a great way to help build that identity.” The camp is located at UA’s medical school campus in downtown Phoenix, on the Phoenix Biomedical Core. Summer Scrubs offers three camps in June: Explore Medicine Residential Camp, Explore Medicine Day Camp and Health Care Team, that range from $300 to $600. Both Explore Medicine programs are for current 11th-grade or incoming senior students. The camp focuses on the medical specialties of being a doctor, like family medicine, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, radiology, OB/GYN, etc. The Health Care Team is for current freshmen and sophomore students and focuses on different healthcare professions: nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, dentistry, physician assistant, etc. Students learn from various healthcare professionals during the Health Care Team Camp. “They will hear about the education and training that goes into that profession and what they do. Our presenters will also have hands-on activities that coincide with what happens in their profession,” Young said. The Explore Medicine group learns from current medical students and physicians of different specialties within the medical field about what they do day-to-day, and what training each field must complete, along with hands-on activities. All participants will also spend time in the Simulation Center, learning skills like suturing, ultrasound, CPR, vitals, and more. “Students don’t have to know right now that they want to be a doctor or enter the medical field. This program is designed to help students learn about the opportunities within health care and medicine,” Young said. He mentioned that the most popular part of the camps is the hands-on activities, and while the program is educational in many aspects, they also want students to have fun. “It’s one thing to hear about the different professions/specialties, but it’s another thing to actually get to do some of the stuff they do in their field of work,” Young said. “We’ve had a lot of memorable activities in the past. Each year we have added new professions and specialties to our program, which always brings new exercises.” Students that attend the Health Care Team camp can apply and go through the Explore Medicine Camps – and Young said that the program has seen many of its students become mentors and even medical students in later years. “We have two second-year medical students who attended our Summer Scrubs program, one in 2015 and the other in 2017. In their undergrad, they both returned as counselors to help mentor our high school participants, then were accepted into our medical school for the graduating class of 2025,” Young said. Aside from Summer Scrubs Programs, The UA College of Medicine-Phoenix also offers programs during the school year for students interested in health care and medicine. Saturday Scrubs and InstaMed are offered from August through May, one Saturday per month, where students can learn about different medically- related topics. Saturday Scrubs is an in-person program where students all over Arizona head to the campus to work with and learn from 40+ medical students. “We incorporate hands-on exercises each month, as we know that is what the participants enjoy most,” Young said. InstaMed is the virtual version of Saturday Scrubs. According to Young, students join other high school and medical students while working on case-based instructions, where they are presented with patient cases. They must determine what is happening and develop diagnoses and ways to treat their patient. “Both programs are free, and students must register monthly to participate. It is recommended that students register as close as possible to when registration opens, as these programs fill up fast due to their popularity,” Young said. Once camp is over, students receive a certificate of completion. The 2024 Summer Scrubs application process opens at the beginning of December and closes in early March 2024. phoenixmed.arizona.edu/scrubs Scalpel? Check. Scissors? Check. Summer Camp? Check! D Editor’s Note: Applications for this year’s camp are closed, but it’s never too early to start planning for next year! Summer Scrubs PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHIP YOUNG

11 SUMMER ’23 ids and teens who aren’t attending summer camp – but are still looking for something to do in June and July – can try their hand at volunteering. Below are five Arizona organizations that are seeking volunteers for the summer months. Have fun and lend a helping hand! ARIZONA BROADWAY THEATER azbroadway.org ABT is seeking Teaching Assistants for their upcoming Summer Academy Camps, which meet Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. until 2/3 p.m. from June 12 until July 22. Candidates must be 13+ years old and have an interest and general understanding of theatre and working with kids. Teaching Assistants work with industry professionals and will gain real-world experience. Duties include checking campers in and out, supervising all breaks, rehearsing with small groups, being a positive role model for campers, working backstage during the performance, and supporting teaching artists. TAs can also earn a stipend after camp, which can be applied to other programs. This year’s shows include Finding Nemo Jr. (June 12-24), 101 Dalmatians (July 26-July 1), and The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition (July 10-22). Interested candidates should email Education Director Stephen Hohendorf at stephenh@azbroadway.org with the subject line “Academy TA.” Include a theatrical resume, work resume (if applicable) and a brief cover letter describing why you would like to be considered for the position. FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN fmsc.org Children as young as six (with a parent or guardian) can volunteer at FMSC. Volunteers will hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags which are then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets and shipped to FMSC’s partners, who reach the children around the world. Packing sessions are available Monday through Friday at 1345 S. Alma School Road, Mesa. “Fully Invested” packing sessions take place on Sundays or holidays. These sessions require all volunteers to donate $63 per person or $189 per household. The donation will fund 216 meals for children. HOME FUR GOOD homefurgood.org Teens 16 and up can volunteer at Home Fur Good, a nonprofit that aims to eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable animals in Maricopa County. Those who want to volunteer must fill out a waiver and attend orientation, held on the second Wednesday of each month. Here are some ways volunteers can help: animal care and socializing, adoption counseling, fundraising, dog walking, fostering, grant writing, shelter cleaning, office help, marketing and transporting. LIBERTY WILDLIFE libertywildlife.org There are two volunteer programs for teens at Liberty Wildlife. The teen guide program is geared toward ages 13-17 who are interested in education and developing public speaking skills. The animal husbandry technician is for teens 16-18, who are interested in working on the hospital side of the facility – but teens must be 18+ to work with raptors. Please note there may be a waiting list for these programs. The Teen Guide position requires volunteers to set up and break down booths before and after hours and present educational information at booths and within the Interactive Lab. Animal Husbandry Techs are responsible for cleaning cages and bins, laundry and general housekeeping duties, plus assisting with various hospital projects and ground maintenance. WELCOME TO AMERICA PROJECT wtap.org The Welcome to America Project (WTAP) serves refugees relocated to Phoenix through the U.S. State Department. WTAP helps refugees transition by donating home goods, furniture, décor and “staples” to help them get on their feet in their new homes. Children 8 and up (accompanied by an adult) can volunteer in various ways: Saturday Welcomes: Deliver furniture and household items to newly arrived refugee family homes. Volunteers will help set up some household items and chat with new friends. Sort and organize: These volunteers help with different projects in the warehouse. Volunteers pack items for the families and help to sort donated items. Bike Repair: All levels of repair experience are welcome, from beginning to expert. Bikes are donated to new families, which helps them get to jobs and education and helps connect them to the community. WTAP hosts outdoor, socially-distanced bike repair events in the fall. Mobile Clothing Closet: Volunteers will organize and distribute gently used clothing, shoes, accessories and children’s books. Let’s Volunteer Putting altruism at the top of the summer checklist K