Encouraging Study in Health Sciences: Informing School Students Through Interprofessional Healthcare Simulations.

Introduction: Although commonly considered postgraduate-level study, universities are increasingly providing options for direct undergraduate entry into health professional programs. This presents a need to inform high school students about the wide variety of careers available in the medical and allied health professions.

Methods: To accomplish this, the developed "Health Simulation Experience" uses a case-based learning approach to introduce high school students to careers in health through the management and care of simulated patients. Participants worked through 3 simulated scenarios during the 1-day event and reported their perceptions on written feedback forms at the conclusion. A qualitative research approach was used to identify whether the simulation-based structure was an appropriate approach to assist with enhancing their understanding of career options within the primary and allied healthcare systems.

Results: Of the 528 student attendees who engaged with the program between 2018-2022, 333 provided ratings of their experience (94% overall satisfaction) and written feedback. From qualitative analysis of written comments, the following 3 key themes emerged: the approach provided insights into health professions careers; they enjoyed the authentic and immersive approach to learning; and the event developed an understanding of commonly performed clinical skills.

Conclusions: Overall, the use of case-based learning with interprofessional hands-on experiences is an effective approach to introduce students to future study options and career pathways in primary and allied health.