Updated Aug. 1, 2023

Seven incoming College of Health Sciences students were on campus this summer to participate in the University of Missouri’s Summer Bridge Accelerator Program.

Dating back to 1994, Summer Bridge is a program through the Center for Academic Success and Excellence that helps incoming freshmen bridge the gap between high school and college. This residential academic experience allows first-year, first-time college students to enroll in courses, forge relationships with faculty and students, and become familiar with campus resources before the fall semester.

Participants can earn up to six free credit hours toward their general requirements. Beyond making connections and earning credit hours toward their degrees, the seven Health Sciences students engaged in workshops and activities related to life at Mizzou and in their new academic home. Within CHS, Donal Buckner with the Office of Student Access & Scholars Initiatives works to coordinate workshops and provide students with valuable connections to campus and department resources.

After a campus scavenger hunt highlighting several key landmarks, resources, and support services — culminating in a stop at Buck’s Ice Cream Shop — the incoming students met with Health Sciences ambassadors for an introduction to the program. Ambassadors discussed different ways the incoming freshmen can get involved on campus and in Columbia (e.g., job shadowing, community service, campus involvement, leadership) and offered advice on how to balance involvement with their academic load.

Summer Bridge participants also enjoyed some hands-on learning opportunities with several of the college’s programs, including Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound (DMU), Health Sciences, Respiratory Therapy, Public Health, Nuclear Medicine and Radiography.

They met with Jennifer Keely, director of the Respiratory Therapy program, who taught them about different aspects of respiratory care. Participants learned about basic mechanical ventilation concepts and practiced intubating manikins, and they also worked with pig lungs to see similarities to human organs.

Summer Bridge students spent time with DMU Program Director and Assistant Clinical Professor Alice Townsend, Assistant Clinical Professor Dee Sharrock, and Clinical Coordinator and Clinical Professor Douglas Clem to learn more about DMU. They discussed ultrasounds and how the technology can be used to image everything from blood vessels and abdominal organs to tendons and in-utero babies. The Summer Bridge participants also visited the ultrasound lab and observed live carotid imaging before having an opportunity to scan volunteer patients and obtain real-time ultrasound images.

They also engaged in hands-on activities with Carla Allen, director of the Radiography program, to learn about the radiographic properties of various objects and how they relate to structures within the human body. The session focused on developing visual reasoning skills used by radiologic technologists during medical imaging exams. Additionally, an activity called “guess which items are radioactive” explained radioactivity and shielding.

To learn more about infectious diseases, students met with Jenna Wintemberg, an assistant teaching professor in the Departments of Health Sciences and Public Health. Dr. Wintemberg introduced students to the public health profession through a case-based investigation of a disease outbreak. Students then worked in groups to identify the organism responsible for the illness as well as the contaminated food item; they then outlined strategies to prevent future outbreaks.

Summer Bridge participants also gained insight into Nuclear Medicine by meeting with Clinical Coordinator Jamie Gladson and Program Director Jeff Galen. Students heard about careers in nuclear medicine, a typical day in the life of a nuclear medicine technologist, and recent advancements in the field. They also had the opportunity to tour the nuclear medicine department at University Hospital.