UC’s Health Care Exploration course helps students find their calling
Patient care assistant work offers experiential learning for those interested in medical fields
"Who are the two people you’ll call when your first patient dies?"
Arthur Pancioli, MD, asks every class this question at the start of the semester.
A professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and senior vice president and chief clinical officer at UC Health, Pancioli also helped to create the university’s Health Care Exploration Through Patient Care program and makes it a point to address the emotional challenges of working in health care — especially for newcomers. He said many students face "quaking" and moving experiences when starting out, and he shares strategies for managing these emotions.
Kate Carey, a student in the program who aspires to become a pediatrician or obstetrician, described Pancioli and his lecture as “super inspirational”. She is still in her third year as an undergraduate, but she’s already gaining hands-on opportunities in a hospital setting, working with new mothers and babies. She has also had exposure to cardiology and neurology units, and it’s all from her involvement in Health Care Exploration Through Patient Care.
The undergraduate course allows students to work as patient care assistants (PCAs) within UC Health for a minimum of 12 hours a week. They get paid about $17 an hour for performing basic clinical care duties. In return, they gain practical knowledge. Immersive experiences like this one are becoming an expectation for medical school applicants, even if it’s not always a written requirement.
Anil Menon, PhD, College of Medicine associate dean of undergraduate education
“This course allows students to gain practical experience, which is increasingly the expectation when applying to medical school or other graduate-level health programs, such as physician assistant or pharmacy school,” said Anil Menon, PhD, associate dean of undergraduate education in the College of Medicine.
He added that the course can also help students round out their decision-making process as they advance toward graduate programs by helping to expose them to various health care roles.
“They have a dream and are converting their dreams into reality,” said Menon. “We’re helping them find their calling.”
Finding her calling
Carey, a medical sciences major with an integrative health minor, has been part of the Health Care Exploration program since the fall of 2023. Now she is a teaching assistant under Jackie Knapke, PhD, course director and research assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the College of Medicine.
Carey, from Strongsville, Ohio, helps new students navigate the PCA role with weekly tips and guidance. Carey is now considered a staff PCA within UC Health, currently working about one shift a week as she studies for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) exam that she will take in May.
“Through this program, I’ve not only accumulated clinical hours but also gained valuable insights into different specialties,” said Carey. “It’s helped me identify which fields are a good fit for me.”
Carey credits her favorite nurse in her current unit for showing her the value of teamwork and helping to create a family atmosphere.
“I’ve also learned that I like working through complicated cases to solve problems,” said Carey.
Learning compassion
Carey now recommends the Health Care Exploration Through Patient Care program to anyone in a pre-health major.
The course not only provides valuable experiential learning but also is an innovative way to fill entry-level health care positions, helping address workforce gaps that have grown in recent years.
Arthur Pancioli, MD, professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine and senior vice president and chief clinical officer at UC Health
Menon and Pancioli worked together to develop and launch the course in 2022. Pancioli said more than 300 students have taken part in it so far, gaining practical experience that prepares them for careers in health care.
“One of the goals of the course is to offer students insight into reality and a point of differentiation as they advance,” Pancioli said.
The class allows students to reflect on their experiences through writing about them. Some of those experiences can have a lasting impact, long after the course ends.
“The program lights a candle inside students,” Menon said. “The course is about learning compassion.”
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Featured image at top of page: Kate Carey, an undergraduate student who now works as a UC Health staff patient care assistant, sits outside University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Photo/Kate Carey.
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