Each summer, Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) hosts Camp Med, a free, two-day summer camp for rising high school seniors who are interested in learning more about medical practices and careers in the healthcare industry.  The program offers students the opportunity to speak with healthcare professionals and experience firsthand what a career in healthcare entails.

Courtney Lemert participated in the very first Camp Med program eight years ago in August 2016.  She learned about the program through her counselor at Granville High School and completed the rigorous application process.  Courtney was thrilled to learn that she had been accepted into the program.
 
“Since I was young, I knew that I wanted to study medicine and work in a health-related field,” Courtney said.  “I enjoyed health sciences in school, and I liked helping people.  I was not finding any programs in Licking County that were geared toward high school students who wanted to explore the medical field.  When I heard about Camp Med and that it was being held at Licking Memorial Hospital (LMH), I was super excited.”

During the two-day camp, Courtney and 36 other high school students around Licking County gained an inside understanding of healthcare through tours of the various Hospital departments and discussions with medical professionals about different healthcare careers.  The students also participated in interactive, hands-on demonstrations.

“One of the most memorable parts of the camp was visiting the Surgery Department,” said Courtney.  “We dressed up in surgical suits and went into the operating room.  I performed a mock intubation, and it was such an amazing experience.  We also experienced a medical scenario in the Emergency Department.  The Hospital staff who helped us were so patient and kind.”

After graduating from Granville High School in 2017, Courtney attended the University of Dayton (UD) to study pre-medicine.   During her studies, she decided to pursue a career as a physician assistant (PA), and after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2020, she applied and was accepted into UD’s PA program.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UD reduced the class sizes for the autumn semester, and Courtney’s start to the program was delayed until the fall of 2021.  She returned home to Granville and worked various health-related jobs while she applied to other PA programs around the country.  Courtney was accepted to Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia and began attending classes at the beginning of 2021.  She graduated with her Master of Science in Physician Assistant degree in the spring of 2023, and this January, she began her career as a PA at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Courtney is grateful for the opportunity that she had to attend Camp Med and remembers her experience fondly.  She encourages high school students who are interested in a healthcare career to apply for the Camp Med program.

“I love that LMH provides a way to educate students about all of the different choices and avenues in the healthcare industry,” Courtney said.  “Young people are thinking about their career path as early as middle school, and programs like Camp Med allow students to interact with medical professionals and ask questions to learn more about a career in healthcare.”

Students who will be high school seniors during the 2024-2025 school year are eligible to attend Camp Med this summer.  Applications for the 2024 Camp Med program are available online at lmhealth.org/campmed/campmed.aspx.  For more information, please contact Licking Memorial Public Relations at (220) 564-1560.