Saint Mary’s Summer Programming: A Look into the Healthcare Summer Institute

 

The pre-college programs at Saint Mary’s provide students an opportunity to experience what it would be like to work in their desired field. The Saint Mary’s Healthcare Summer Institute is no exception; with state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated faculty and staff, it is a week packed with hands-on opportunities and career exploration.
 
Nursing Professor Jennifer Riggs, MSN, RN, has directed the Healthcare Summer Institute for three years. She finds it a rewarding challenge to curate engaging lessons and activities that high school girls enjoy. She says building the program around the College’s state-of-the-art healthcare simulation lab provides an opportunity that other institutions cannot. “Our simulation labs emulate a real hospital setting,” Riggs said. “Students are blown away when they see the high-fidelity mannequins.” These mannequins, Riggs said, move in ways that a patient would in a hospital, including sounds, head movements, heartbeats, etc. “Saint Mary’s invested in this equipment so our nursing students enter the workforce fully prepared for what they will encounter in their careers. It has made a difference for our college-level students, and that is why we want our high school students to experience it as well.” 
 
Riggs says that in addition to the sim lab experiences, field trips to area healthcare institutions are engaging and always popular. This summer, her students will tour Memorial Hospital and have a chance to learn from the MedFlight Emergency Transport team. Another highlight is a lesson on wound-suturing, as well as childbirth. “Our Saint Mary’s Nursing Science Perinatal Health Instructor, Dr. Alicia Fullenkamp, will use balloons to demonstrate the birthing process; Before the week ends, all participants can become certified in CPR and First Aid. Upon completion of the Healthcare Summer Institute, students will earn college credit if they choose to attend Saint Mary’s.

During the week-long overnight camp, students will stay in the dorms, eat delicious meals in the dining hall, and explore campus while attending institute events—a week of living like a Saint Mary’s student. The evenings are filled with activities to meet new friends from all over, including karaoke, a dance party on the island, and outdoor games. The counselors at the summer institute are current Saint Mary’s nursing and pre-health students, allowing girls to learn from student and faculty leaders and mentors who know exactly what it is like to take a healthcare path.
 
Even if students aren’t certain that they’re interested in a nursing career, Riggs said the name of the summer institute was chosen deliberately to showcase other jobs within the healthcare field. Riggs stressed the importance of understanding the patient experience and the healthcare system in various fields. During the camp, students may learn from a social worker, a pharmacist, a public health specialist, a radiology technician, etc.
 
“Nearly all our presenters are women, and we try to represent a diverse group,” Riggs said. “We want our campers to see women leaders who look like them so that they will say, ‘Yes, I can do this!’”
 
Riggs plans to continue to develop a program that will empower young women and inspire them to pursue a healthcare career. One of Rigg's main goals for every summer is to ensure participants know they belong.
 
“We believe that their contributions matter. We want to meet them where they are and help them learn and grow in a way that is meaningful to them. I think our camp offers a good glimpse into what life is like as a nursing and pre-health student at Saint Mary’s.”
 
To register or learn more about the Healthcare Institute and other Pre-College Programs offered, Visit: https://www.saintmarys.edu/camps/summer-programs-offering-college-credit
 
March 26, 2025