Library Gazette

This week, forty high school students from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians attended the MedCat program at Wake Forest University. MedCat stands for Medical Careers and Technology. The program was led by Professor Ulrike Wiethaus and partners Wake Forest University with the School of Medicine to teach these students about careers in the medical field. Its purpose is to give these students a taste of college life and encourage them to attend college while keeping them connected to their traditions and culture.

The students arrived in Winston-Salem on Sunday, and on Monday morning I did a clicker survey of their technology skills and they toured the campus. That afternoon, they began a Problem Based Learning (PBL) exercise related to the medical field. Later that afternoon, Sharon Snow led a Bibliographic Instruction session for the group and they continued working on their PBL projects until Wednesday morning when they gave presentations to the group. Originally Mary Scanlon was slated to work with this group, but dates changed and conflicted with her trip to Venice. All the preparations Mary made in advance made my job and Sharon’s job much easier. After their four-day visit to Wake Forest, these students were off to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and North Caroline State University. I hope to see some of them in our freshman class in a few years!