VIM Clinic of Cascades hosts MedStars students

On Wednesday, June 26, Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades in Bend hosted MedStars students for a five-hour hands-on experience of what it means to be a medical professional.

A total of 32 high school students were welcomed at the clinic by VIM medical staff and volunteers, and introduced to five medical fields as possible career paths, including the heart (EKG), vitals, orthopedics, pharmacy and injections.

MedStars is a week-long residence camp held in Bend, with students residing in the college dormitory on the OSU-Cascades Campus.

Each week, a different group of diverse and underserved high school students in the Cascades East region are offered opportunities to engage with and explore the vast careers available in healthcare through various hands-on activities, learning simulations, daily career speakers and lecture series. Students leave with a better understanding of health care, and the skills required to succeed in a competitive field.

About Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades

Volunteers in Medicine Clinic of the Cascades (VIM) is a nonprofit clinic in Bend that provides free medical care to low-income, uninsured adults from working families in Central Oregon. Their mission is “to improve the health and wellness of the medically uninsured or critically underserved through the engagement of professionals, community partners, and dedicated volunteers.” VIM is the only clinic in Central Oregon that cares for the uninsured without charge. Patients receive primary and specialty medical care, medications, mental health care, surgery, physical therapy, lab work, medical tests, and education programs. All care is provided through medical and support volunteers.