Wright State’s Health Professions Day offers a healthy dose of career opportunities

Wright State’s annual Health Professions Day on Feb. 17 offers high school and college students the chance to learn about academic and career paths in health care.

High school and college students considering a health care career can learn about options, receive guidance and connect with educators and local organizations at an event at Wright State University on President’s Day.

Health Professions Day will take place on Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Student Union’s Apollo Room on Wright State’s Dayton Campus. Registration is available online.

A series of presentations, talks and demonstrations will cover possible careers, including medicine, biomedical engineering, social work, speech and language therapy, laboratory science, rehabilitation and more.

In addition to a presentation about careers in nursing, there will be a panel discussion on “A Day in the Life of a Nurse.”

A resource fair and opportunity for networking will also be available in the Student Union Atrium.

The event is held annually, but new this year is its organizer, Wright State’s Center for Health Professions.

The center launched as an online operation and opened in 222 Student Success Center on the Dayton Campus in the fall 2024 semester.

“Building community is hard to do when you exist only online,” said Jonathan Lu, D.B.H., director of the Center for Health Professions. “This way we can demonstrate our commitment to student success.”

The center’s mission is to empower aspiring and current health care professionals to excel in their lives and chosen careers through interprofessional education, mentorship, certification and experiential learning.

“Our goal,” said Alycia Ketter, the center’s pre-health program manager, “is to be there to help any student who is seeking a health career to find the appropriate pathway.”

For example, the center helps students who want to enroll in medical school prepare their applications and take entrance exams.

Health Professions Day activities are free and open to high school students, their parents, friends and families, current pre-health students, teachers and counselors who want to learn more about programs available at Wright State.

“This event provides opportunities for students,” Ketter said. “They’re networking with local organizations that will soon be their employers.”

Health Professions Day is organized by Wright State’s Center for Health Professions, which opened in 222 Student Success Center in the fall of 2024.

Students will learn what it takes to enroll in Wright State’s Boonshoft School of Medicine and other professional health programs, how a degree from Wright State can facilitate entrance to other professional schools and what classes and activities would help pave the way to a health career.

“Wright State offers multiple degrees and diverse pathways,” Ketter said. “The Center for Health Professions is a great resource for those seeking health careers or professions. We highlight the many pathways the university offers or external programs they may be seeking.”

Learn more about Health Professions Day at wright.edu/hpd.