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By Izunna Nkwachukwu
Twenty five young people have benefited from the second edition of the summer medical camp organized by IRCAD Africa in partnership with STEMi Makers of Africa.
The six-day career exploration programme held from July 13-18, 2026 at IRCAD Africa in Masaka, Kigali, Rwanda, was designed to help young people discover the opportunities available across science, technology, medicine, and healthcare sectors.
For the 25 young learners the experience was an immersive week of career guidance, mentorship, and practical exposure to the healthcare sector.
Under the theme ‘Beyond the white coat: Exploring careers in healthcare’, participants learned that building a healthier Africa will require more than doctors and nurses. It will also require medical researchers, biomedical engineers, public health specialists, mental health professionals, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health communicators, data specialists, technology innovators and many other professionals working together.
Through career talks and interactions with healthcare professionals, the learners gained an understanding of the academic pathways, personal qualities, and practical skills required to pursue different careers within the medical and health sector.
The career guidance sessions were complemented by practical activities that allowed participants to experience different aspects of healthcare. These included introductions to laparoscopic surgery, suturing, CPR and emergency response, medical robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and ultrasound technology.
The activities helped learners connect their classroom subjects — particularly biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and technology — to real careers and challenges within the healthcare sector.
Throughout the week, participants worked in groups to research pressing public-health challenges affecting communities in Rwanda and across Africa. Their topics included noncommunicable diseases, road traffic accidents and injuries, antimicrobial resistance, mental health, and substance abuse.
Using medical mannequins, they practised taking basic vital signs, including measuring blood pressure, checking heart rate, and observing other key indicators used when assessing a patient.
The participants also visited the University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST) in Rwanda, where they experienced the foundations of medical training in a simulated clinical environment.
Dr Charles Nsengiyumva, the Director General, IRCAD Africa, said that career guidance is most meaningful when young people can see, experience, and interact with the professions they are considering.
“Through this camp, we wanted learners to understand that healthcare is a broad and evolving field with opportunities in medicine, research, technology, engineering, public health and many other areas. By exposing them early, we are helping them make informed choices and inspire them to see themselves as part of Africa’s future healthcare workforce,” Dr Nsengiyumva.
The summer medical camp facilitator, Dr Salah Alimad Birir, said that many young people know the names of only a few healthcare professions, adding that the camp programme offered an opportunity to explore the field more deeply and to understand how their individual interests and abilities can lead to meaningful careers.
“It was remarkable to see their confidence grow as they participated in practical sessions, researched public-health challenges and presented their ideas,” Dr Birir said.
The Founder and Executive Director of STEMi Maker of Africa, Dr Amanda Obidike, said the STEM organisation was delighted to make meaningful contributions in the camp programme and support young talents in Rwanda by helping them make the career exploration experience in science and healthcare more accessible.
“We are thankful that working with IRCAD Africa offers such high-quality clinical research and healthcare management programmes to students from Rwanda who wish to make a career in healthcare,” she said.
The communication manager of STEMi Maker of Africa, Claudette Nkwenti, said that the health system can only be as strong as its workforce, and their goal is to ensure that Rwanda’s healthcare system showcases successful innovation in developing countries across Africa and that young talents can access practical-based skills, internships, clinical placements in top university teaching hospitals and health centres.
Parents described the camp as a rich and eye-opening experience that kept their children intellectually engaged and broadened their understanding of the medical field.
