New Jersey SEEDS Eighth Graders Shadow Healthcare Professionals at Annual Hospital Day

On Saturday, April 12, more than 90 eighth-grade students enrolled in New Jersey SEEDS will shadow healthcare professionals at the organization’s annual Hospital Day event. SEEDS is a statewide nonprofit working with high-achieving students from low-income families. Thanks to partnerships with Hackensack University Medical Center and Morristown Medical Center, students enrolled in SEEDS’ Scholars Program will spend the day exploring potential future career paths in the industry.

During the course of the day, students shadow doctors, nurses and technicians in a variety of specialties including child life, medical administration, neonatal intensive care, surgery, pharmacy and pediatric gastroenterology. At the conclusion of their time with hospital staff, students will participate in a medical ethics discussion. They will be presented with three different scenarios that hospital professionals may face and asked to share their opinions. Finally, before their day ends, students will take part in a workshop that will highlight the educational preparation needed to pursue a career in the healthcare industry.

“Hospital Day is an amazing opportunity for our Scholars to understand the many potential career trajectories in healthcare and medicine,” explains Ronni Denes, President of SEEDS. “The experience leads up to our enhanced summer curriculum, where Scholars have the ability to select an intensive course of study to prepare them for the next phase of their education and to explore potential careers. Our Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) track is popular with students, building on the themes first introduced to them at Hospital Day. We are grateful to our friends at HackensackUMC and Morristown Medical Center for so generously opening their facilities and engaging our Scholars.”

“Hospital Day with SEEDS’ Scholars is an event that my colleagues and I look forward to each year,” says Kevin A. Slavin, M.D., section chief of Quality and Safety, Infectious Disease Division, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at HackensackUMC. “It’s an opportunity for each of us to share first-hand experiences in healthcare professions with hard-working students who will someday be the leaders in these fields.”

“We are very excited to be hosting the 14th Annual Hospital Day at Morristown Medical Center (MMC) on Saturday April 12,” says Dr. Maria E. Perez, DO, Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Medical Center. “We will be hosting approximately 60 of the NJ SEEDS students at MMC, and we look forward to giving them the opportunity to explore a variety of careers in healthcare. This year, we are happy to have even more departments participate in the program, including radiology and physical therapy. It’s one of the most enjoyable days of the year for us!”

For 22 years, New Jersey SEEDS has been changing the lives of its students by transforming their educational opportunities. SEEDS provides rigorous academic coursework, followed by placement in the nation’s finest schools and colleges. SEEDS’ Scholars Program, which is tuition-free, prepares eighth-grade students for ninth-grade placement at an academically demanding selective school with substantial financial aid packages. Over a 14-month period, Scholars participate in academic classes over two residential summer sessions, as well as each Saturday during the school year.

Photos of the event will be available; please contact Theresa Murray at tmurray@njseeds.org for additional information.

About New Jersey SEEDS
Since its inception in 1992, New Jersey SEEDS has provided educational access for highly motivated, low-income students and created a viable path for them to achieve their full potential. SEEDS strives for a world in which young people’s initiative, creativity and intellect can flourish without regard to socioeconomic status. To date, nearly 2,000 scholars have benefited from its programs. For more information, visit www.njseeds.org.