Today@Dal

From Global News:

A camp geared towards African Nova Scotian youth is aiming to increase what’s been called a “low, almost non-existent” number of visible minorities in health professionals.

This is the first year for the camp, which is run out of Dalhousie University and gives hands-on experience for youth in the realms of medicine, dentistry and health and human performance.

Activities range from practicing CPR on mannequins to how to give an injection. Students also learned how to listen to heartbeats and identify ear infections.

Dominique Parsons’ face is filled with concentration as she slowly and carefully removes sutures from a mannequin.

The 16-year-old from Dartmouth is about to enter Grade 12 and is looking at a career in nursing.

Parsons applied for the camp for a few reasons — to get experience with the different health professions, and also because it is catered to African Nova Scotian youth.

“Usually at school, you’re a minority a lot of time so you don’t really connect with other people as well as you would do if they were the same as you,” she said.

Parsons said she doesn’t have any African Nova Scotian dentists, doctors or other health professionals to look up to as role models and adds the camp showed her it is possible for her to pursue a career in healthcare.

“I [am] surrounded by people that [are] like me and it’s empowering,” she said.

Read the rest of this article online.