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Fort Smith
Students at Darby Middle School in Fort Smith are getting a head start on future careers in health care thanks to hands-on medical learning inside local hospitals. These immersive experiences are part of the Health Sciences Academy (HSA), a one-of-a-kind program available exclusively to Darby students.
Eighth graders in the program spend half of their school day at Mercy Fort Smith, where they gain firsthand exposure to medical careers through guided tours, clinical observations and interactive lessons led by health care professionals. Seventh graders participated in their program at Baptist Health – Fort Smith, while sixth graders remain on campus at Darby to prepare for future rotations.
This innovative collaboration between Fort Smith Public Schools and local hospitals is the first program of its kind in Arkansas, setting a new standard for early career exploration and health care education. The eighth-grade program, led by Katie Dunn and Shelby Grubbs, offers students unique opportunities to learn directly within hospital environments.
Throughout the year, medical specialists visit classrooms to share their expertise, answer questions and provide hands-on instruction that goes beyond traditional learning. Students take part in clinical rotations, department tours and projects that challenge them in math, science and more — all while gaining a deeper understanding of real-world health care.
“I always say that it is a really great way for them to get exposure,” Dunn said. “We see all the aspects of health care, all the different facets that you really can't get anywhere else. We get to go to the actual hospital and see the behind-the-scenes stuff. We need to talk people who are actually working in it to get a real ‘day in the life.’”
Dunn said students also have opportunities to learn directly from current medical students about their educational paths and experiences.
“We get to see all of the different aspects from the ground up in terms of education,” Dunn said. “They find out exactly what classes you need to take all the way through, so they can ask them what it’s like and how they study. They can ask questions like, ‘How difficult was going to nursing school? How difficult was it going to medical school?’ ‘What are your tests like?’ And so, it’s just letting them see all of those things and what they really have to do to get where they want to go.”
Grubbs said the program gives students an academic advantage — especially those interested in medical fields.
“I'm teaching anatomy and physiology right now, so they're going to already have all this in their head,” she said. “And when we go out into nursing or we speak to physicians, they already have a little bit of background knowledge to guide them when they can ask questions.”
Eighth grader Kristoffer Keomoungkhoune, who has been part of the program since sixth grade, is considering a career as a family medicine physician.
“I wanted to join this because I heard it was kind of an accelerated medical program, which I was just really interested in,” he said. He added that he’s looking forward to more hands-on medical activities throughout the year, as well as the tours of health care facilities.
“Whenever we go to a health care facility, I'm interested in hearing what the people have to say. I just think that it'll be interesting,” he said.
Eighth grader Livia Pryor, also a three-year participant in HSA, is interested in oncology and enjoys the hands-on components of the program. She said earning her CPR certification and learning bleeding control techniques with tourniquets have been highlights. She also enjoys using the new anatomage table, which lets students explore and identify structures within different body systems.
Many students begin the program unaware of the wide range of health care careers available beyond doctors and nurses. Through their hospital experiences, they’ve met Mercy professionals from the cardiac catheterization lab, imaging services, labor and delivery, and even the hospital library. Recently, some students were able to attend the ACE/Trauma Symposium for Stakeholders, hosted by The Center for Psychiatric Trauma & Mental Health.
“You just cannot replace being here and getting to see and do the things that we do,” Dunn said. “And at this level, I think it's the perfect age, because they are about to start taking high school courses, so you kind of know where you might be headed after high school. And just getting to prepare them for that is really, really helpful.”
Dunn added that while some students come into the program with a specific career in mind, their experiences often open new pathways — sometimes even outside of health care.
Both Grubbs and Dunn say leading the program is incredibly rewarding for them personally.
“This is the best job I've ever had,” Dunn said. “I tell people all the time, ‘I can't believe this is my job.’”
The Health Sciences Academy shares updates and activities on its Facebook page. The program welcomes students who are eager to engage in advanced learning, not just those already interested in health care or STEM. To apply, students must complete an online application and interview, demonstrate good attendance and behavior, and meet or exceed Arkansas ACT Aspire standards in literacy and math. Find out more here.
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