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Students interested in healthcare careers got an intensive, hands-on look at emergency medicine and primary care during a special educational event at Olney Central College that combined real-world scenarios with expert instruction from local healthcare professionals.
"The day started with an introduction into emergency medicine. We had a local physician, Dr. Watik Maghroudi, come and speak to the students, and then we had the manager of Carle Richland Memorial Hospital come and talk about emergency medicine and emergency response," said Dr. Alani Frederick, DNP, RN, PCCN, CNE, Dean of Health Professions at Olney Central College.
The comprehensive program included emergency triage training and a mass casualty incident simulation where students cared for 19 simulated patients from a bus accident scenario. The cases ranged from simple cuts and bruises to critical situations, providing students with exposure to the full spectrum of emergency medical care.
"The end goal for the students is to be exposed to an incredibly large number of medical specialties and healthcare specialties to determine if they can find something that sparks their interest. These students all signed up knowing they wanted to do something in healthcare," explained Dr. Frederick.
The afternoon portion focused on primary care, featuring nurse practitioner Marcia Street, who practices locally in Olney. Students followed patients through various specialties including bloodwork, X-rays, and physical therapy to understand the comprehensive nature of healthcare delivery.
"We partnered with AHEC (Illinois Area Health Education Centers) and Carle Richland Memorial Hospital to sponsor lunch and bring in providers from our local community to talk to the students about taking care of people in our own community," noted Dr. Frederick.
The event represents an innovative approach to healthcare education, combining academic learning with practical experience and community partnerships to give students authentic exposure to medical careers.
