A first of its kind symposium was hosted on Friday in Lansing.
It took place at Eastern High School and had booths lining the field house with health simulators.
The event, called Becoming Visible, is a pilot program hoping to draw young women of color into a health care career.
"Now more than ever, we need increased diversity in health care professions in our community and beyond," said Paulette Granberry Russell, Director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives at Michigan State University. "This is especially true among women, where women of color drop out of the health sciences and health professions pipeline where we need them most."
Simulations were of the heart, breathing and bowel sounds, replicating heart attack symptoms, and imitating normal and dilated pupils in exploratory health care booths.
The event was for students in 8th grade and older in the Lansing School District.
"Never in my time as a physician at Sparrow has a group like this come together for a common good and goal," said Candace Metcalf, D.O., Medical Chief of Staff at Sparrow. "Our goal is to bring more women of color into health care and get them interested in staying in Lansing for their continuing education and their careers."
Becoming Visible is a partnership between Sparrow, McLaren Greater Lansing, MSU College of Human Medicine, MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, Lansing Community College, and the educational partner, the Lansing School District.
The groups goal is to help young students reach their aspirations of working in health care through events and mentorship programs.
