{"id":81122,"date":"2013-07-29T11:09:38","date_gmt":"2013-07-29T15:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=81122"},"modified":"2013-07-29T11:42:59","modified_gmt":"2013-07-29T15:42:59","slug":"lt-gov-wyman-speaks-at-hcop-closing-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2013\/07\/lt-gov-wyman-speaks-at-hcop-closing-ceremonies\/","title":{"rendered":"Lt. Gov. Wyman Speaks at HCOP Closing Ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Lt.<\/a>
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman (center) was the keynote speaker for the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) and Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative closing ceremonies on July 26, 2013. (Janine Gelineau\/UConn Health Center Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman was the keynote speaker for the Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP) and Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative closing ceremonies Friday. More than 200 middle school, high school and college students and their families attended the event held at the UConn Health Center.<\/p>\n

A research symposium and poster presentations were also part of the event which marked the culmination of weeks of research and clinical internships for the aspiring physicians, dentists and scientists.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are going into the best field ever because as much as you\u2019re going to give, you\u2019re going to get back,\u201d said Wyman. \u201cThere are a lot of people out there that need you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wyman told the students she started her career in health care. She was a candy striper in high school and then later became an x-ray technician – at the time, a male-dominated field. \u201cWhen you decide what you want to do, look at not only what is happening now, think about what could be happening in the future, where you want to be and how you want to serve the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Marja Hurley, associate dean and director of HCOP, introduced Wyman and Dr. Nisar Zaidi, a 2008 UConn School of Medicine grad who is now a general surgeon at Central Maine Medical Center, gave alumni welcoming remarks.<\/p>\n

Greetings were given by Dr. R. Lamont McNeil<\/a>, dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine and Dr. Frank Torti<\/a>, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the UConn School of Medicine, who told the students, \u201cAll of you are gifted folks who can do many things. But there is nothing more important, there is nothing more satisfying in life, than helping other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UConn Health Center\u2019s Health Career Opportunity Programs (HCOP)<\/a> are designed to raise awareness and proficiency in science among Connecticut students from diverse backgrounds, provide them a mentoring and support system, and encourage them to pursue health professional careers.<\/p>\n