The OU Health Sciences Center will host its first See HSC Day Thursday in an effort to reach out to prospective medical and health care students.

Most of the day's activities will be located in the David L. Boren Student Union at the HSC from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The activities will include a browsing session, Financial Aid and Admissions presentations and tours of the HSC.

Casey Partridge, assistant director for HSC Student Affairs, said he hopes the day will give the HSC a chance to educate potential medical and health care students on the benefits available.

"This type of event gives us the ability to showcase this campus and all it has to offer," Partridge said. "We want our Norman students that are in the medical and health care fields to continue and pursue their careers at the HSC."

Partridge said it is also his goal to reach out to students from around the state and other colleges who may be interested in medical and health care fields.

The HSC, which is located in a 15-block area near downtown Oklahoma City and the State Capitol, includes the colleges of allied health, dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and the Graduate College.

See HSC Day, organized by the HSC Student Affairs Office, will be divided into three parts that will allow students to explore the campus and all of its aspects, Partridge said.

The day will begin with a browsing session in the Union at 3 p.m. The seven colleges will have booths and representatives to give information to prospective students until 7 p.m., and food and drinks will be provided, Partridge said.

The second part will involve the opportunity to tour the colleges, Partridge said. The colleges will individually showcase and provide tours at 4:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

The third part is designed to help students who have questions about paying for college and the enrollment process, Partridge said. At 3:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Financial Aid and Admissions will give a presentation to discuss and answer any potential questions prospective students may have about finances and admissions at the Health Sciences Center.

Joe Nguyen, first-year medicine student and recent graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences in Norman, said he enjoyed the opportunity he had to tour the HSC campus last spring while he was deciding on which college to attend.

"I was really impressed by the technology available," Nguyen said, "Everything you could possibly need was online for whenever you could possibly need it."

Gina Mayabb, student association president and college of public health student, said the Health Sciences Center has a lot to offer prospective medical students.

"Students who are interested in any health-related profession, from research to business and everything in between, should consider the OU Health Sciences Center their first place to look," Mayabb said.

She said the HSC is one of four campuses in the nation to host all health disciplines in one location. She said the unique setting provides for interdisciplinary and competitive learning.

Partridge said the most beneficial aspect of the HSC is the campus's prime location near an abundance of medical facilities such as the OU Medical Center, Children's Hospital and the State Health Department. He said that because of their hands-on and close involvement with these facilities, students who graduate from the HSC often have connections and better opportunities to get jobs or internships right out of college.

"(The location) gives the students on this campus a great opportunity to work in their fields of study," Partridge said.

Nguyen said the location was one major reason why he chose to attend the HSC because it provides a great opportunity to obtain internships.

"It's a nice place to go," Nguyen said. "It's all around convenient, and it's a great facility."

Partridge said he hopes See HSC Day will show Norman students that the HSC can help further their goals in the medical and health care fields.

"It's OU. We're one big family, (the students') needs can be met and we can be a resource to them just like OU has been to the Norman campus," Partridge said.
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