Beyond the Classroom – Cleveland Clinic
April 14, 2023
Beyond Breakthrough and Breakthrough Public Schools Partners with Cleveland Clinic to Bring “Beyond the Classroom” Career Exposure to Students
In the Fall of 2022, Breakthrough Public Schools (BPS) and Beyond Breakthrough announced an exciting program to introduce 7th and 8th-grade Scholars to healthcare occupations, with the potential for long-term mentorship in the healthcare field of their choice. BPS and Beyond Breakthrough partnered with the Cleveland Clinic to provide two half-day programs that exposed Scholars to and provided hands-on activities in:
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Nursing
- Physicians Assistants (PAs)
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy (PT)/Occupational Therapy (OT)/Radiation
- Tech/Sonography
- Nutrition
- Healthcare Administration
The first program took place on Friday, December 9, and the second on Friday, February 3. Over 80, 7th and 8th-grade Scholars participated in at least one of the two programs, with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Following the two half-day programs, interested Scholars have the opportunity to attend a full-day Healthcare Expo on May 5 to learn more about healthcare fields, tour the Cleveland Clinic campus, participate in a showcase of simulated patient rooms, EMS, life flight, and other hands-on simulation activities like CPR, suturing, laparoscopic activities, and filling cavities.
Following the May 5th event Scholars will be paired with mentors actively working in their areas of interest. These mentors will work with Scholars through high school and college to help them enter their careers of interest. Mentors will also assist with helping Scholars to obtain relevant internships, shadow and volunteer opportunities, and research experiences, as well as with application processes, personal statement reviews, and CV reviews.
Beyond Breakthrough and Cleveland Clinic will monitor Scholars who participated in the program through high school and beyond, both through their mentors and in general. The relationship will also include a growing cohort size as this program will continue for years to come.
Cleveland Clinic is using this opportunity to study the impact on the pipeline into medical careers. Does early engagement and mentorship have a positive impact on the number of local students that enter roles at the Clinic? This study, funded by the Association of American Medical Colleges, will publish its findings and possibly inform other such programs across the country.
Beyond Breakthrough is going “Beyond the Classroom” for this and many other programs, in conjunction with BPS, to help foster interest in a variety of different career paths. Programs like this one also help Scholars better prepare for high school and beyond as they better understand from an early age where their interests lie and how they can go about achieving their dreams. Working with a mentor is a key piece of program success and can help solidify early access to the right opportunities, invaluable advice and guidance, and most of all, support from someone who once walked the same path.
Stay tuned to learn more about the success of this strategic partnership as the final phase takes place on May 3. We can’t wait to see BPS Scholars become Alumni and thrive in the career of their choice.