Area high-schoolers will have a chance to experience a gross anatomy lab in person when the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) hosts its second annual Clinical Anatomy Summer Experience (C.A.S.E.) camp.
Applications are open now for the 2024 camp, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., June 24 to 28, on the school’s campus in Lewisburg.
C.A.S.E. is free for campers and provides hands-on clinical anatomy education in the classroom and WVSOM’s gross anatomy lab. Participants will learn about anatomical structures and their clinical importance through a weeklong series of interactive activities. Materials and lunchtime meals will be provided.
Karen Wines, a WVSOM anatomy instructor who leads the camp, said the experience will allow attendees to understand the human body’s complexities in a new way and teach them about the different options available to people who want to work in the health care industry.
“We’re excited to be able to offer this camp for the second year,” Wines said. “The program has proven to be an unforgettable experience for campers, who explore medical education through hands-on activities. We will spend time working in small groups in the classroom and the gross anatomy lab, where campers will interact with medical students and faculty to discover a greater appreciation for the human form and learn about clinical correlations resulting from findings during lab dissection.”
Wines said three medical student interns will work with WVSOM faculty to deliver content at this year’s camp, which will be expanded to accommodate 15 students. Last year’s inaugural camp accepted 10 campers.
“In the program’s second year, we’re looking to increase enrollment and reach students who are looking to learn more about the path to healthcare careers and provide support for their educational choices,” she said.
Applicants should submit a letter of recommendation from a teacher and an essay outlining their experience in learning anatomy and what they hope to gain from attending the camp. Students may apply by May 15 at www.wvsom.edu/summer-camps.
The C.A.S.E. camp is funded by the Jeanne G. Hamilton and Lawson W. Hamilton Jr. Family Foundation, FirstEnergy Corporation, the WVSOM Foundation and the WVSOM Alumni Association.