Fourteen high school seniors learned about diabetes from the medical perspective during an 11-day residential camp on the campus of Wayne State University.

The summer educational camp is coordinated through the WSU C2 Pipeline Warriors College Experience, a collaboration between the Wayne State University School of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, College of Engineering and School of Social Work.

The students dissected pig hearts in a lab at Scott Hall, built a model eye at the Kresge Eye Institute and learned about dialysis at Henry Ford Hospital, all part of a curriculum developed by Kendra Schwartz, M.D., assistant dean of Clinical Education, and De'Andrea Matthews, interim director of Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Medicine.

Many other hands-on activities took place during the experience, including a visit to the Kado Clinical Skills Center in the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons, and interactions with medical students.

One of the highlights of the camp is student participation on an interprofessional education team. Teams are made up of one student from each specialty area. Each team is challenged with the task of addressing the health care disparity of diabetes by developing a research poster and project. Teams compete at the end of camp for scholarship money to Wayne State University.

The program culminates with the Student Gala and Awards Presentation on Aug. 6 at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, when Richard Baker, M.D., vice dean of Medical Education for the School of Medicine, will present the students with a lab coat, medical tract specialty pin and certificate.

The mission of program is to incorporate science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a project-based, hands-on learning environment with a focus on health careers that enhance and link to a student's secondary educational experience.