Kettering University Pre-Med program offers simulation workshops

The Kettering University Pre-Med program of study offers students a unique path to medical school through hands-on simulation workshops, experiential education and perspectives that set them apart from students who take a traditional pre-med path.

Students have the opportunity to work as medical scribes asundergraduate students at hospitals such as Hurley Medical Center and at theGenesee County morgue. Scribes work directly with physicians to enter data intoElectronic Medical Records while the doctor is focusing on patients. The roleallows the undergrads unprecedented access in a hospital and the opportunity tolearn about different types of medicine.

“The ability to generate these highly-contextual patienthours starting in the freshman year while working side by side with a physicianis a unique aspect of the program,” said Dr. Laura Vosejpka, Dean of theKettering University College of Sciences and Liberal Arts.

Through the Pre-Med Club, students can participate insimulations at the Covenant HealthCare Simulation Center at CMU. Since spring2018, students have taken several simulations, including emergency injuries andbleeding control, obstetrics, basic lifesaving in overdose situations andinfant lifesaving.

The obstetrics workshop stood out to Abigail Howell, aBiochemistry major, because it focused on a specific specialty rather than moregeneral medical emergencies. The students helped an animatronic woman givebirth and practiced handling emergency situations such as labor induction orshoulder dystocia, which is when the baby's shoulder is stuck. “If a womanneeds to be induced, there was actually a bag of water we had to break beforedelivering the baby. Overall, it was very realistic and educational,” she said.

"These types of clinical experiences are normallyreserved for medical students, so our pre-med students are getting a glimpseinto what medical school will be like,” said Dr. Stacy Seeley, department headof Chemistry and Biochemistry and director of the Pre-med Program. "Thesimulations are low-pressure ways to learn about medicine and definitely serveto excite our students about their future careers in the medical field."