INA, Ill. (June 22, 2016) - Nearly 30 students from across Southern Illinois participated in Rend Lake College's Discovery Camp this week, which gives each student the chance to explore and learn about many different health care careers. The two-day camp is free to all attendees and is held annually at RLC and local hospitals, thanks to a partnership between the college and the South Central Illinois Allied Health Education Center (SCI-AHEC) Network.
During the first day on RLC's campus, Discovery Campers participated in many hands-on activities, presentations, and videos about Emergency Medical Services, Radiology, Nursing, Medical Coding, Veterinary Science, Biomedical Engineering, Occupational Therapy, and others. They also had a visit from Air Evac 11 Lifeteam and Litton Ambulance Service, both located in Mt. Vernon.
On day two, the campers visited SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon, Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in McLeansboro, or Pinckneyville Community Hospital for a tour and a meet-and-greet with hospital staff. It is during this visit that students can interact with the facility’s staff and get tips for continuing their education in college and beyond.
Click on the images below for larger views. More images can be found on the college's Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/rendlakecollege.
Discovery Camp students posed with members of the Air Evac 11 Lifeteam, based out of Mt. Vernon, Tuesday morning to kick off a day full of learning about health careers. Pictured is, in alphabetical order, Olivia Asbury of Tamaroa, Whitney Asbury of Tamaroa, Abigail Barnes of Tamaroa, Sarah Barnes of Tamaroa, Aliyah Barnett of Tamaroa, Arrah Barwick of Du Quoin, Aubrey Barwick of Du Quoin, Seth Cannon of Norris City, Mia Dorflein of Tamaroa, Dustin Engelhardt of Pinckneyville, Megan Engelhardt of Pinckneyville, Lejla Frank of Mt. Vernon, Kolten Gajewski of Nashville, Alyssa Goldsberry of Benton, Audrey Gulley of Franklin County, Kaitlyn Johnson of Murphysboro, Madeline Johnson of Scheller, Anna Kistner of Scheller, Lauren Lutz of Patoka, Tori Lyons of Sandoval, Shelby McKown of Murphysboro, Kennadie Ohse of Simpson, Megan Restoff of Tamaroa, Christal Singh of Mt. Vernon, Drake Sturgill of Nashville, Kaylie Towns of Golconda, and Andrea Ziehm of Dahlgren.
Air Evac 11 Lifeteam landed on the north end of campus Tuesday morning to give Discovery Campers an up close and personal view of the helicopter, equipment, and three employees. A pilot, paramedic, and nurse were on hand to tell the students about their jobs and the schooling requirements for each.
Two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) from Litton Ambulance Service in Mt. Vernon performed lifesaving techniques during a mock bicycle / motorcycle accident Tuesday afternoon on the north side of RLC's campus. While watching the EMTs, the Discovery Campers asked questions about the profession and learned about bike safety.
Each Discovery Camper also had the chance to explore one of Litton Ambulance Service's vehicles after the mock accident was complete. Inside, an EMT explained what happens in an ambulance on the way to the hospital and students had the chance to ask questions about becoming an EMT or paramedic.
