Students Exploring Careers in Health (SECiH) is a student organization in collaboration with the UNM HSC Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. SECiH was born out of a student project, and is now led by a group of dedicated health professions students committed to sharing knowledge about the healthcare field with students at under-resourced high schools around New Mexico. We envision to increase the awareness of the spectrum of professions in healthcare for the student participants and hopefully instill in them the understanding that these professions are open to them and attainable for their futures.
SECiH is run by a diverse group of professionals from various health colleges including medicine, occupational therapy, and population health. By working together to plan events, high school students are exposed to a wide range of health careers during their day visiting campus. This includes having the opportunity to talk with many of the health occupations involved in care at the University Hospital. The high school students leave with a better understanding of potential future health career opportunities.
Our mission is centered around giving students in rural communities of New Mexico the opportunity to have a hands-on look at potential careers in the healthcare profession. The goal of maximizing exposure to these fields is to minimize potential barriers to the attainability of pursuing a health professional career education. In doing so, the hope is that students will pursue careers in the healthcare field and take their knowledge back to their community to practice. This in turn will increase the number of providers in smaller New Mexican communities, increase access to healthcare and treatment, and overall improve health outcomes. Through our mission, we have been able to minimize barriers and provide support to Navajo Prep through summer medical pipeline programs, to jump-start their future health careers.
Email us at secih@salud.unm.edu!
SECiH will host a group of students from a selected high school for a day on the UNM Health Sciences Center campus. Students will have the oppoortunity to talk with healthcare professionals and health professions students, tour the campus and participate in a number of interactive workshops.
Our goal is to increase the awareness of the spectrum of professoins in healthcare for the student participants, and hopefully instill in them the understanding that these professions are open to them and attainable for their futures.
Students who lead and participate in SECiH activities can receive Interprofessional Education (IPE) credits in all categories: Informative, Elective, Interactive, Executive, Innovative, Initiative, Immersive/Reflective. These credits can be applied toward the IPE Certificate of Honors for graduation.
HSC students can serve as general members, in officer positions, or as ambassadors specific to their HSC programs. Our current student leaders are featured below.
Morgan Stein MAStein@salud.unm.edu
Angelina Gonzales AFGonzales@salud.unm.edu
Seth Romero SetARomero@salud.unm.edu
Pearl Huynh PHuynh@salud.unm.edu
Judy Tucker JudTucker@salud.unm.edu
Stacy Collier, Program Manager, UNM HSC DEI, Communities to Careers
smcollier@salud.unm.edu
UNM Health Sciences and Services Building, First Floor
MSC09 5235
2500 Marble Ave. NE
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
505-272-2728
HSC-Diversity@salud.unm.edu