Inaugural Public Health Symposium at MTSU draws high schoolers eyeing medical
Middle Tennessee State University recently welcomed more than 100 high school students to campus for its inaugural Public Health Symposium, offering a closer look at career paths that go beyond traditional roles in medicine.
Held in late March inside the Academic Classroom Building, the event was organized by faculty in the Department of Health and Human Performance within the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. The symposium brought together students and educators from across Rutherford County for a day of hands-on learning, discussions and networking with university faculty.
“I was thoroughly impressed with the turnout,” said faculty member Chipper Smith, who organized the event. “Seeing six schools bring busloads of students was exciting.”
The symposium was designed to mirror a professional conference experience. Students participated in an interactive lecture focused on social media literacy and how to identify misinformation, followed by breakout sessions covering topics such as epidemiology, speech-language pathology and audiology, and the use of positive social norms to influence healthy behaviors.
“We wanted to make it into a real conference experience,” said Kahler Stone, associate professor of public health.
Participating schools included Blackman, Siegel, La Vergne, Smyrna, Rockvale and Oakland high schools, with additional schools already expressing interest in attending a future event planned for the fall semester.
The event primarily targeted students involved in Health Occupations Students of America, also known as HOSA, many of whom are already interested in healthcare careers but are still exploring their options.
“One of the biggest learning curves is helping students realize there’s more health careers than just being a doctor or nurse,” Smith said. “Those are great careers, but there are so many other pathways like health education, nutrition, speech-language pathology and public health communication.”
For La Vergne High School junior Chinedu Obi, the symposium emphasized the importance of accurate health information in today’s digital world.
“What interested me most is how the public interprets information and how important that is,” Obi said. “You see viral remedies or anti-doctor messages spread faster than real solutions. That makes me want to look for the right knowledge.”
Obi, who plans to pursue a career as a surgeon, said public health offers a proactive approach to medicine by helping individuals make informed decisions before medical intervention is needed.
Educators also highlighted the value of exposing students to both college environments and broader healthcare concepts early on. Emily Arms, a 2020 MTSU graduate and career and technical education teacher at Smyrna High School, brought a group of students to the event.
“We’ve been talking about public health in class, so this gave them a chance to see it in action,” Arms said. “It’s also about getting them on a college campus and helping them envision themselves here.”
The symposium is part of a broader partnership between MTSU and local school systems. Over the past year, Smith and his colleagues have visited classrooms across Rutherford and Davidson counties, reaching more than 1,000 students.
That collaboration is continuing to grow with the launch of a new dual credit opportunity this fall. High school students will have the chance to take an exam for MTSU’s Intro to Health Professions course and earn college credit at a reduced cost.
“It’s about access,” Smith said. “We want students to see that college and careers in public health are within reach.”
As planning begins for the next symposium, organizers hope to expand participation to all nine Rutherford County high schools and continue building interest in a field that plays a vital role in community health.
“We’re starting conversations,” Smith said. “And that’s where real impact begins.”
For more information about MTSU’s public health program, visit hhp.mtsu.edu/public-health/.
