A student from Harlingen CISD wears a mask and gloves and leans over his patient, carefully stitching together his open wound. When she has finished, the neat row of sutures could be mistaken for the work of a professional, but this is her first time performing surgery. The young woman is, of course, operating on a skin model while participating in the College 1st Health Professions CAMP.
The Health Professions CAMP is designed to introduce students to a wide array of medical profession careers through interactive, hands-on, and project-based learning. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry has been expanding exponentially over the last decades, creating new jobs and opportunities for upcoming medical professionals.
James Martinez, an aspiring doctor and Harlingen CISD student claimed that his “experience with the camp was life changing because [he] got to learn more about [himself] through the medical activities that will be helping [his] future.”
During the Health Professions CAMP, students are exposed to the emerging technologies that have made waves in the medical field. Economic trends toward increasing automation suggests that the best prepared professionals of tomorrow will know how to interact with technology and harness its advantages. “I feel inspired to go to medical school and become a cardiologist!” said Harlingen CISD student, Anthony Magallanes.
During the Health Professions CAMP, not only do students use virtual reality glasses to explore the circulatory system but also take part in similar training that medical professionals are exposed to. They use human skin models and suturing kits to perform surgery and get to experience what it’s like to be a nurse during a vitals rotation. Moreover, the students are primed by the College 1st mentors, college-educated students from diverse professional backgrounds, to think of the broader effects of technology on medical professions and society by-and-large.
As students review the human anatomy and explore different medical career options they can pursue after college, the interspersion of hands-on activities provides them with practical skills that medical professionals often aren’t exposed to until college. From removing cavities from teeth models to taking the “vitals” of their peers, students get a head start on skills they need to become the dentists, doctors, nurses, and surgeons of tomorrow.
For more information about the College 1st program, please visit our website at www.college1st.org or call us at 1-877-499-8544.
