Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville hosted its annual Science, Service, Medicine and Mentoring (S2M2) internship at the hospital June 20-24 with 13 high school students from Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts.

"Naval Hospital Jacksonville's S2M2 program with Darnell-Cookman is all about nurturing the next generation of medical professionals," said Capt. David Collins, NH Jacksonville commanding officer. "During their weeklong internship with us, students participate in clinical rotations and hands-on workshops. They even get a taste of combat casualty care."

The goal of NH Jacksonville's S2M2 program is to nurture high school students' commitment to science and medicine in a welcoming and intellectually stimulating environment. The S2M2 partnership with Darnell-Cookman complements the school's focus on equipping high-performing students with the skills to pursue advanced medical degrees.

"We wouldn't normally have these hands-on experiences at this stage in our education," said Talaia Meade, a Darnell-Cookman rising sophomore. "I really enjoyed witnessing firsthand all of the medical professions at the hospital."

In addition to clinical rotations through the operating suites, outpatient clinics, and inpatient units, students participated in Hospital Corpsman University and the Trauma Combat Casualty Care obstacle course. They witnessed how first responders conduct combat trauma care. Students also performed medical procedures on life-like mannequins in the hospital's simulation laboratory, and performed orthopedic procedures on artificial bone and joints.

"My favorite experience was seeing how physical therapists interact with patients," said Kiera Mallory, a Darnell-Cookman rising junior. "I was inspired to become an orthopedic surgeon when I was two years old and broke my arm."

S2M2 was developed in 2004 by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and launched in 2010 at NH Jacksonville. It includes two activities each academic year: a kick-off event in the fall at Darnell-Cookman, and a weeklong immersion program at NH Jacksonville.

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year, NH Jacksonville's priority since its founding in 1941 is to heal the nation's heroes and their families. The command is comprised of the Navy's third largest hospital and five branch health clinics across Florida and Georgia. Of its patient population (163,000 active and retired Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, National Guardsmen, and their families), almost 85,000 are enrolled with a primary care manager and Medical Home Port team at one of its facilities. To find out more or download the command's mobile app, visit www.med.navy.mil/sites/navalhospitaljax.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Hospital Jacksonville, visit www.navy.mil/.