Future Health Pathways
850 Middle School Students Explore Health Careers at Medventure for Your Future at Texas Tech Health El Paso
15th annual Medventure for Your Future, sponsored by FirstLight Federal Credit Union, builds a health care pathway by starting career exposure in El Paso middle schools
Over 850 middle school students descended on Texas Tech Health El Paso on Saturday, Jan. 31, for the 15th annual Medventure for Your Future, a hands-on introduction to health care careers, sponsored by FirstLight Federal Credit Union.
More than science demonstrations, Medventure helps grow El Paso's future health care workforce by introducing students to health careers before high school. It’s a targeted workforce development intervention addressing El Paso's Health Professional Shortage Area, where only 62% of family medicine demand will be met by 2032, and where nursing shortages face 32% — the highest in Texas.
In one classroom set up as a makeshift morgue, Isabella, 13, an eighth grader from Hurshel Antwine Middle School, and her autopsy partner, Alyssa, 12, a seventh grader from John Dugan Middle School, stare down at their “corpse” — a six-inch-long pickle with a plastic cocktail sword plunged through its left side.
As they discussed whether the sword was the cause of death, they meticulously dissected the deceased pickle, whom they named “Dill,” taking notes on a chart.
Dill, they surmised, bled to death from the sword.
Throughout the day, middle school students huddled at registration tables, buzzing with excitement. Volunteers in matching T-shirts directed foot traffic, and exhibitors set up 37 booths promoting various health care organizations. From there, they moved to classrooms and laboratories across campus for interactive experiences.
Some held a scalpel for the first time during an anatomy workshop. Others realized that nursing involves cutting-edge technology, not just bedside care. Many will leave certain about attending a magnet health high school, then pre-med, then medical school, and a future of treating patients throughout West Texas and Southern New Mexico.
According to René André, M.B.A., assistant director of Outreach Programs at the Foster School of Medicine and Medventure organizer, it’s a strategy the university has spent the past 15 years fine-tuning.
“Students tend to select career paths in high school, so we try to expose them to as many possibilities in the health care career field as possible before high school,” said André. “We've had several who became nurses, and at least three past participants are now in medical school at Texas Tech Health El Paso. We get excited when we hear that because it means we're making a difference.”
The model works, according to André. Ninety-five percent of Medventure participants report increased interest in health science careers and enroll in additional STEM courses. Research published by the National Institutes of Health on middle school career exploration confirms these students are 22 percentage points more likely to declare STEM majors within five years and experience a two-to-eight percentage point jump in college graduation rates.
At least three Medventure alumni are now medical students at Texas Tech Health El Paso. Several alumni work as nurses and physicians across the region.
Participation in this 15th annual event has grown from 230 students in 2012 to more than 850. The expansion mirrors El Paso's health care workforce gains: Since the Foster School of Medicine opened in 2009, physician numbers increased 66% — from 1,034 to 1,715. The Hunt School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,300 nurses since 2012, with nearly 90% staying to practice locally. These gains still leave El Paso 60% short of physician needs and facing critical specialist shortages in pediatrics, psychiatry and family medicine.
Health Care Careers That Start With a Pickle
Medventure's educational philosophy emerged from evidence: middle schoolers remember what they do far longer than what they hear. Saturday's program included 35 hands-on presentations repeated throughout the day: dissection of a pickle for anatomy, brain surgery simulation with precision tools, dental repairs in a simulation lab, ultrasound training on medical mannequins, crime scene investigation workshops, and emergency response demonstrations with ambulances and first-responder equipment.
Approximately half the presentations are now led by high school students from the region’s magnet school programs. Educational research confirms that middle schoolers relate better to near-peer mentors — seeing themselves reflected in diverse student bodies that change course selection patterns in eighth and ninth grade.
Community Investment in the Long Game
For 15 years, the event has relied entirely on community support to raise the $30,000 needed to host it. This year’s major sponsors include FirstLight Federal Credit Union, Fort Bliss Spouses’ Association, Desert Mountain Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Freeport McMoRan, Ricardo Reyna, M.D., and Destination El Paso.
“Medventure is something we sponsor every year,” said Margie Salazar, CEO of FirstLight Federal Credit Union. “It’s really important to us to support education. I like to attend to tell my story and hopefully motivate some of the kids to follow their dreams.”
Salazar believes camps like these do make a difference.
“I remember attending an engineering camp one summer at UTEP. My team had to work together to build a cardboard-and-tape canoe and race it across a swimming pool. Those moments inspired me to go to college.”
A committee of 35 people from hospitals, community organizations, and local high schools begins meeting in September, increasing to weekly sessions by January. The 160 volunteers coordinating Saturday's event see it as an investment in our regional workforce.
Medventure takes place on a campus designed to train health care professionals. Some arrive certain about health care careers. Others have never considered medicine, nursing or dentistry. A few will walk out transformed, having touched equipment, spoken with practitioners, and envisioned a future that was invisible that morning.
These investments fund a continuum: Medventure in eighth grade, summer camps in high school, MedFuture mentorship guaranteeing interviews, medical school, residency training at University Medical Center of El Paso or another regional affiliate, then decades of practice serving tens of thousands of patients. When a physician completes a 30-year career, treating 40 patients per day, that represents more than 300,000 patient encounters.
And it was all seeded by a Saturday morning dissecting pickles and discovering possibilities.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 counties in West Texas and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.
Focusing on excellence in health care education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.