Medicine is a long-term commitment that requires many years of training. Given this, many students find it difficult to decide whether medicine is the right career path for them. Through this one-week long program, students will gain insight into what it is like to be a physician. Students will have an opportunity to engage directly with physicians who are passionate about their work. Simultaneously, students will get to explore the state of the art UConn Health Center which is entering an era of unprecedented growth in all three areas of its mission: academics, research, and clinical care.

In addition, students will have an opportunity to gain guidance from UConn's Pre-Med academic advising staff. Moreover, students will be provided supervised transportation from the UConn Storrs campus to the UConn Health Center in Farmington. Students will return to the Storrs campus at the end of each academic day.

• Throughout the week, students will delve into the following aspects of medicine:
• Practice of basic skills
• Exploration of common examinations
• Brief overview of selected topics in cardiology and gastroenterology
• Demonstration of a mock “code”

Agnest S. Kim, M.D., Ph. D.

Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Non-invasive Cardiac Imaging and Echocardiography Lab
Director, Cardio-Oncology Program

Dr. Kim provides care to patients with a wide range of cardiovascular illnesses, including coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy. She has expertise in advanced non-invasive cardiac imaging, including echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac MRI, and vascular ultrasounds. She has a particular interest in the cardiac care of cancer patients.

Dr. Kim received her bachelor’s degree at Yale College. She received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University. She completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital. After residency, she completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at Yale-New Haven Hospital, during which she also obtained a Ph.D. in investigative medicine.

This course is an introduction to healthcare professions in the Department of Kinesiology, including athletic training, exercise science and physical therapy. Students interested in sports medicine will better understand the similarities and differences between athletic training, exercise science and physical therapy helping them with any future planning for college and their career. This course will be a mixture of hands on, lecture, guest lectures, breakout sessions and group work.

• Understand the role and responsibilities of various medical and allied health care professionals
• Describe the role of various professional organizations (e.g., NATA, APTA, and ACSM) organizational structure, and the history of the association
• Investigate various professions, including: codes or ethics of professional practice, standards, scope of practice, accrediting body, education requirements for certification, employment settings available, population(s) they serve, relationship between other organizations or health care professionals, board exam or credentialing requirements, process and requirement to maintain credentials, and state regulation.
• Discuss various legal issues that influence the health care professions at the state and national levels

Emma Zuk, MS, ATC – Emma completed a BS in Athletic Training from High Point University in North Carolina and a Masters in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut. Currently, Emma is a 4th year Ph.D. student in Kinesiology at UConn with an anticipated graduation date of Summer 2023. She is also pursuing graduate certificates in College Instruction and Public Health.

Emma’s research focus is on the influence of social determinants on physical activity in children. She is the Associate director of social media for the Institute of Sports Medicine, which works with various partners to ensure athlete safety prior to injury through returning to play. Emma has experience teaching biomechanics, upper and lower extremity evaluation, first year experience and more. She is thrilled to be teaching during Pre-College Summer!

Understanding the science and technology behind food products helps us to make healthy food choices. Not only does this translate to our everyday lives, but it can also pave the way to an interesting career path that combines science, nutrition, healthy safety and best of all, food. The field of food science and technology includes food microbiology and safety, food quality assurance, food engineering and technology, food chemistry, product and formulation development, food packaging, sensory evaluation, food marketing, and food regulations.

This course is composed of in-class lectures and hands-on laboratory experiments to help students turn their knowledge of the principles of food science into practices as a food scientist. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to make healthy food choices by understanding scientific principles behind food preparation and processing.

• Basic terminologies and concepts of food production
• Modern technologies used in the food industry
• Key practices to assure the quality, safety, and palatability of raw and cooked foods
• General facts and relevant food regulations that consumers should be aware of
• Career opportunities in the field of food and nutrition

This course will feature a curriculum of evidence-based prevention, recognition, and treatment of the Nation’s leading emergency issues in sports, military, and occupational settings. Each session includes interactive presentations disseminated by the experienced staff at the Korey Stringer Institute, as well as, hands on learning labs simulating the emergency treatment of life threatening ailments. Participants will learn imperative knowledge in the understanding of today’s leading causes of death in sport and physical activity, including essential firsthand skills in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of these emergent injuries and illnesses.

This course will provide an overview of medical aspects surrounding sport and physical activity. Students will gain an understanding of the cause, ways to prevent, and first aid care of various illnesses and injuries associated with sport and physical activity.

A broad range of emergent topics will be covered during the sessions, listed below. Students will gain a basic understanding of background information of the ailment, as well as, hands on learning of skills for treatment.

• Cardiovascular events
• Exertional heat illnesses
• Concussions
• Traumatic Injuries
• and other significant contributors to sudden death

Our Human Anatomy and Physiology course is the perfect starting point for students interested in entering medical or related health-care fields. In this in-depth look at systemic human biology, you will explore how the cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and nervous systems all work together to help you function. In UConn’s new, state of the art Human Anatomy Learning Lab, you will learn how the body is assembled and how the major organs relate to body function. This hands-on experience will provide an inside-out look at human anatomy and physiology and is an opportunity that most students who are interested in the medical field are not afforded until graduate school.

• the way people are put together and how the systems of the body work together using three hands-on approaches:
  1) direct physical examination
  2) simulation with interactive practice dummies
  3) human cadaver dissection

Are you interested in orthopedics, sports medicine, and related health-care fields? If you have ever wondered what REALLY happens when someone “sprains an ankle” or “tears an ACL”, this course is for you. Designed to provide an in-depth understanding of injury and the human body, this Pre-Med: Musculoskeletal Injury Pre-Summer course gives students the opportunity to explore their interests and see the inner workings of the human body.
In this course, we will examine anatomical changes that take place when someone experiences a musculoskeletal injury, especially those that occur in athletes and individuals who lead active lifestyles. We will replicate the structural changes of real-life injuries in UConn’s new, state of the art Human Anatomy Learning Lab through human cadaver dissection. This hands-on experience will provide an inside-out look at musculoskeletal injuries and is an opportunity that most students who are interested in the medical field are not afforded until graduate school.

• Use various technologies in lab activities (i.e. motion capture, neuromuscular assessment, and diagnostic ultrasound)
• An understanding of evaluation of some of the most common musculoskeletal injuries, to further explore the consequences of these injuries

This course will introduce students to the art and science of public health practice, where the focus is on preserving health and preventing disease within our communities. Students interested in medicine and other health-related careers are especially encouraged to enroll and learn through presentations, group discussions and practical exercises how to identify public health problems and promote community-oriented solutions. Current and historical problems ranging from COVID-19 to environmental health, chronic disease control, health care access, food safety, interpersonal violence and other related topics will be examined. The interdisciplinary nature of our field will introduce you to experts in the fields medicine, law, economics and education.

At the end of this course students will understand the complexity of issues and variety of disciplines contributing to public health practice. Students will also gain skills necessary to pursue a career in public health and other health-related professions.

• Understand public health’s role in societal development
• Identify current issues and recognize social determinations of health and illness
• Operationalize the public health approach using the case-study method
• Discuss approaches for effective health communication
• Engage with public health experts in panel discussions

Prerequisite: High School Biology with a grade of C or higher

The field of nutritional science explores the interactions between living organisms and food. Exploring nutritional science concepts is applicable to everyday life and a variety of professions that includes medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant, dietetics, education, policy, and the food, retail, and restaurant industry. Taking this course will give you an advantage about how what we eat or drink impacts the functioning of the human body and a person's health.

This course will introduce you to the field of nutritional science and health. Students will have interactive in-class lectures with videos. In addition, students will use critical thinking skills to complete case studies and hands-on activities individually and small groups to further their understanding about dietary behaviors, nutrients in foods and the human body, and linking nutrient intake to overall health. In addition, students will learn about educational pathways and experiences leading to careers in healthcare, nutrition, and the food industry.

• Identify factors that affect food and beverage selection
• Identify specific nutrients in specific foods and beverages
• Discuss how food is processed in the body
• Explore the connection between dietary behaviors and health outcomes
• Identify strategies and steps to pursue a career related to healthcare, nutrition, and the food industry