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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