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Health and Medicine
        Page 4                                                                                                 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com


                     ‘Scrub Club’ Highlights Medical Careers

                                                                                evening was just the first of ongoing monthly   and experience, the opportunity to ask ques-
                                                                                Scrub Club gatherings planned for the remain-  tions, and the practical instruction.
                                                                                der of this school year. Each event will focus   “You learn skills you haven’t learned
                                                                                on a different hospital department  and the   before, but then it also helps you know – like
                                                                                various jobs found in each.        suturing, maybe you don’t like that – so you
                                                                                                                   know  you  don’t  want  to  go  into  a  field  that
                                                                                Strong Student Interest            involves that,” said sophomore Lauren West-
                                                                                   BHS  Assistant  Principal  Ed Cox said   erlund. “It helps you know what you like and
                                                                                about 50 students signed up for the October   what you want to specialize in. And you pick
                                                                                event,  although  scheduling  conflicts  reduced   up some basic skills, like CPR, which is really
                                                                                the number who actually attended to about 35.  nice.”
                                                                                   “We really appreciate AH offering this to
                                                                                students in the area. They stepped up and were   Illuminating Pathways
                                                                                creative in making this work in their setting,”   Along with the hands-on aspects of the
                                                                                said  Cox, explaining  that  some  of the  high   evening, students had opportunities to hear
                                                                                school’s advanced  classes require students   from a variety of hospital staff about why they
                                                                                to do some form of job shadowing, which is   undertook careers in medicine, and the path-
                                                                                ordinarily difficult in the medical field. “As a   ways they followed to their current positions.
                                                                                school,  we  really  appreciate  when our  com-  “There’s a  lot  of variety  in  medicine,”
        Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose School District  splints, bandaging, and even intubation.  munity  partners  offer their  time  and their   said Emergency Physician Dr. Laura Contre-
                                                                                talent. Having that interaction and experience
                                                                                                                   ras, adding that anyone with an interest should
            Dozens of Buffalo High School students   “I came because I just like learning about   where our kids are able to work with adults   be able to find a good fit. “If the sight of blood
        recently  enjoyed a hands-on, behind-the-  things in the medical field,” said BHS sopho-  is invaluable because it allows our kids to see   bothers  you, you  can  work in  radiology  or
        scenes opportunity to explore careers in the   more Ireland Morris. “I think it’s fun, and you   themselves  in  those  different  positions  that   something else.”
        medical field at AH Buffalo Hospital.  never know what kind of situation you might   were highlighted.  It personalizes  it. It’s not   Those staff stories helped students con-
            The Oct. 14 “Scrub Club” event featured   need these skills in. It’s what I want to do   just a list of theoretical classes.”  ceptually bridge the gap from high school to
        the  emergency  department,  and  included  the   when I’m older, so it’s exciting to be able to   While enjoying pizza during a break in   a professional job, offering examples of how
        chance to visit with ambulance and Life Link   look into it now.”       the evening’s activities,  students said they   others went about pursuing additional educa-
        helicopter crews, short talks by various staff   Modeled on similar programs at other AH   appreciated  the  kindness and enthusiasm  of   tion and training.
        members about their career paths, and hands-  locations  – and following a pilot  event  that   the hospital’s staff in sharing their knowledge
        on opportunities  to  practice  CPR, suturing,   highlighted surgical services last spring – the                         Continued on Page 6
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