AHEC Summer Scrubs Camp is held, students introduced to medical careers.

The annual AHEC Harlan County Summer Scrubs Camp, maintained by Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College, was held recently with nine local high school students participating. According to Shandeal Fields, program coordinator, the purpose of the camp was to introduce students to a variety of careers in the health care field and to provide them with hands-on activities that allowed them to experience firsthand the challenges, opportunities and rewards of a career in health care. Students are made aware of various health care programs and opportunities available for them at colleges, universities and technical schools. The camp began with a field trip to the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University and students also toured Harlan ARH and met with various physicians including Dr. Butt and Dr. Bathija and other staff members. The final day of the camp found students visiting the sleep lab, radiology department and also visiting a surgical suite where students scrubbed in and placed in gowns before performing a simulated gall bladder operation utilizing the laparoscope.

For additional information about the program, contact Ms. Fields at SKCTC Cumberland at 589-2145.

(Photos by Chris Jones)