ECHO 2024
Exploring Careers in Health Occupations (ECHO) is a health careers exploration program that provides fun, interactive, multi-disciplinary experiences through various high school learning opportunities to increase students’ interest in pursuing careers in healthcare. All students are exposed to a broad array of health careers.
ECHO has a unique summer program in the Western Maryland region that provides hands-on activities in various healthcare settings, including public health. As an AHEC West signature health careers pathways program, ECHO encourages students to explore and pursue a career in the health professions and to return to a rural or underserved community to practice, a community preferably located in the Western Maryland region. During the rest of the school year, we offer three lessons to high schools: public health, aging simulation, and dental careers lessons.
ECHO includes some hybrid events featuring virtual discussions with practicing health professionals. Virtual events include Q&As with nurses, medical students, and administrators, virtual animal dissections, presentations on 3D-Gel printing, virtual tours of health facilities, and more. In-person experiences take students on day-long trips to colleges and universities including the University of Maryland School of Medicine, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, the National Institutes of Health, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, and other facilities where they engage with healthcare professionals and learn first-hand about the many rewards and opportunities health careers offer them. Students are also offered SAT and ACT test preparation opportunities from the Princeton Review, one of the premier preparation courses in the nation.
ECHO Week 2024 is sponsored by:
WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY:
“ECHO helped me make a decision that I enjoy working with people and that I want to help change lives.”
“ECHO directly affected what area of healthcare I wanted to pursue. It provided me with direction on how to pursue this career path”
“ECHO was a great experience for me and opened my eyes to many more possibilities.”
“I have always wanted to pursue a healthcare career and ECHO gave me hands on experience to confirm that is really what I want to do.”
“I always knew I wanted to be a Doctor. ECHO helped me pursue and get aquatinted with options. I support this program!”
“The ECHO experience was great. Will never forget it! Not cut out for healthcare field.”
