Carolina Orthopaedics launches “medical mentoring” program
Nine-week program provides high school students a personal introduction to the medical field
Murrells Inlet, S.C. — Carolina Orthopaedics, based in Murrells Inlet, S.C., and providing comprehensive orthopaedic care to the Grand Strand community, has launched a medical mentoring program to provide students with firsthand experience in the medical field, including professional mentoring opportunities to offer guidance as they make decisions about their future careers.
This nine-week program is open to high-achieving rising juniors and seniors in the Horry County and Georgetown County School Districts who have demonstrated an interest in the medical field. The program started June 14 and runs through August 16, with a graduation ceremony scheduled for August 25. This inaugural year, a total of 50 students are participating.
The team of doctors participating at Carolina Orthopaedics includes Dr. Michael Bohan for hip and knee; Dr. Edward Mikol for shoulder, knee, hip, and sports medicine; Dr. Christopher Crosby for foot and ankle; Dr. Stephen Parker for pain management; Dr. Brian Blair for shoulder, knee, hip, and sports medicine; Dr. Andrew Putman for hand, wrist and elbow; and Dr. Todd Cook for neck and spine.
The Medical Mentoring Program at Carolina Orthopaedics allows students to learn more about orthopaedic surgery, orthopaedic spine surgery, orthopaedic podiatry, general surgery, sports medicine and related surgery, in addition to the roles of certified athletic trainer, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse (LPN), medical assistant, certified nurse assistant (CNA), medical scribe, radiologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, surgical technician, anesthesiologist, and administration. Students who are accepted into the program are required to commit at least 15 hours of their time over the nine weeks. Shadowing schedules are flexible and vary based on a student’s medical career interests and summer work and activity schedules.
“We’re excited to have this program finally launch and to begin to see the enthusiasm and excitement the students have for medicine. We aim to immerse them in the healing and caring ways of our practice and the numerous paths they may take to realize their own medical career dreams and aspirations,” commented Dr. Bohan.
Students can participate at any of Carolina Orthopaedics’ three locations: its flagship clinic in Murrells Inlet, which also houses the Carolina Coast Surgery Center and Occupational Therapy Clinic, its Georgetown clinic, and its new location in the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach. ATI Physical Therapy, a partner in the program, and an affiliated firm for care of Carolina Orthopaedics’ patients, is adjacent at all three locations in addition to an office at the South Strand Medical Center.
In the coming years, Carolina Orthopaedics seeks to partner with other medical practices in the area to offer students broad experience in a wider variety of medical fields.
Founded in 2004, Carolina Orthopaedics provides high quality orthopaedic services and care to the Grand Strand community. With facilities in Georgetown and the Carolina Forest area of Myrtle Beach, in addition to the flagship clinic in Murrells Inlet, which also houses Carolina Coast Surgery Center and Occupational Therapy Clinic, Carolina Orthopaedics offers accessible, affordable orthopaedic care. Treating anyone from teen “athletes” to senior citizens, top orthopaedic surgeons with a range of specialties provide diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services, including orthopaedic pain management, sports medicine, reconstructive surgery, and total joint replacement. “We’re part of this community, and we’re passionate about meeting your orthopedic needs” is the mantra of the practice. For more information, visit www.cosdocs.com.
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Overview/Timeline for the Medical Mentoring Program:
January / February 2016: Initial exploration meetings were held with Horry and Georgetown County School Districts
March 2016: Medical Mentoring Program details were formulated
April 2016: Julie Dyer, Medical Mentoring Program director for Carolina Orthopaedics, presented information on the program to administration, staff, and students in the Horry and Georgetown County School Districts. The deadline to apply for the program was the end of April.
Selection Process:
- Student visits Carolina Orthopaedics’ website
- Student completes an application, writes a 250-500 word essay on why he or she would like to participate, and obtains two referrals (one professional and one personal)
- Student submits application, essay, and referrals to selected school staff
- School staff selects students for participation based on a scoring rubric that considers depth of character, GPA, Health Science related class completion, attendance history, and disciplinary history
- Selected students receive an acceptance letter from Carolina Orthopaedics
May / June 2016: Mandatory kick-off meetings took place. Students and parents/guardians were required to attend one of the following meetings:
- Saturday, May 21, 2016, at the Murrells Inlet office, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at the Georgetown office, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, May 26, 2016, at the Murrells Inlet office, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 2, 2016, at the Carolina Forest office, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
August 2016: A graduation ceremony and party will be held on 
Thursday, August 25, 2016, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Carolina Orthopaedics’ Murrells Inlet office. Students will be presented with a certificate of completion and an overview of their participation which they can include in their college portfolio. Officials from the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce are expected to attend. Physicians and staff from Carolina Orthopaedics will be present to meet parents.
