Monday, July 1, 2024
Rising seniors from across the Commonwealth and surrounding states attended Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Inaugural Summer Medical Academy on June 3, 2024.
The free six-and-a-half-hour program featured four stations: Clinical Experiences, Hands-On OMT, Cadaver Lab/Anatomy and Emergency Medicine.
In Clinical Experiences the students learned and practiced suturing and surgical knot-typing with a surgeon. Hands-On OMT featured interactive learning that mimics real-life healthcare situations. Cadaver Lab/Anatomy station showcased the brain, where the students dissected a human brain and learned its components. Lastly, Emergency Medicine taught the basic lifesaving technique for heart failure and methods to stop the bleed.
“We are excited to be able to spend time with aspiring healthcare providers,” Dean and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Joseph R. Johnson, DO, FACOOG (Dist) said. “To be able to share the experiences of our faculty, students and staff gives these young learners the opportunities to experience first-hand critical medical procedures that they may utilize in their future educational experience. Watching them perform complex tasks assures me that the future of medicine will be in good hands.”
The program was designed to promote science and healthcare professions to high school students. The goal for the high school students was to become informed about the many opportunities they have for a career in the healthcare field.
The day began with check-in at 9:30 a.m., and shortly after, the students broke off into four different groups and attended two sessions in the morning. Around noon, the students and parents were given lunch. Following lunch, the groups finished with the final two sessions. Each participant left the academy with a LUCOM “swag bag” that featured LUCOM branded items.
One participant, Emma Elder, from Rustburg High School said she really enjoyed the camp, and her favorite part was working with the brain in the anatomy lab.
While the students were learning hands-on applications, the parents had the opportunity to hear about Liberty University admissions and LUCOM’s accelerated 3+1 Biomedical Program.
The participants of the academy were led by 15 OMS-I students from LUCOM and various faculty members supervised each session.
“This was a success for it being the first year,” Associate Director of Recruiting Jackie Mendez, who coordinated the event, said. “This is a great chance for students to go back and tell their classmates about what kind of hands-on experiences they learned at this event.”
Plans for an annual Summer Medical Academy are in place. For those interested, please be on the lookout for more information next spring.
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