BLINN HEALTH SHOWCASE A BIG SUCCESS
Blinn College’s inaugural Health Sciences Showcase provides in-depth look at its renowned healthcare programs
Programs include nursing, dental hygiene, EMS, fire science, health information technology, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology, and surgical technology
From an air ambulance to virtual cadaver dissections, Blinn College’s inaugural Health Sciences Showcase was not short on excitement.
Recently held at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC), the kid-friendly event gave members of the community – including many local high school students and their parents – an in-depth look at all that Blinn’s renowned healthcare programs have to offer.
Students and instructors from Blinn’s Associate Degree Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Science, Health Information Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, and Bryan Campus Vocational Nursing programs, were on hand to demonstrate the basics of each profession – from the equipment they use to the techniques necessary to ensure quality, compassionate patient care.
“This was an exciting opportunity for us to showcase what Blinn’s health science programs have to offer for our students and the community,” Dean of Health Sciences Tom Lescarbeau said. “Visitors were able to ask instructors and current students about the programs and participate in hands-on demonstrations to see which career could be a perfect fit for them.”
Highlighting the showcase was a site visit from an AirMed 12 helicopter from CHI St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital in Bryan. The air ambulance was stationed in the HSC parking lot for the duration of the event, allowing visitors the opportunity to crawl inside and ask questions.
Inside the HSC, attendees were introduced to clinical simulation technology with Blinn’s state-of-the-art, high-fidelity mannequins, including the opportunity to participate in a mock laparoscopy, conduct virtual dissections with Blinn’s Anatomage Table, and perform emergency procedures inside Blinn’s simulated ambulance.
Visitors also viewed dental demonstrations, surgical tools and procedures, and were given information about the emerging health information technology industry. Blinn’s Mobile Go Center, a 42-foot trailer equipped with laptops and internet access, was on site for individuals interested in registering for the College’s healthcare programs.
“We have really enjoyed meeting people from the community and showing them what our program is all about,” said Jim Arriola, a student in the Bryan Campus Vocational Nursing Program. “We want to give them a glimpse of what we do throughout the program, and hopefully they will want to be our future classmates.”
Blinn’s Division of Health Sciences, based at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, offers associate degree nursing, dental hygiene, emergency medical services, fire science, health information technology, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology, surgical technology, and vocational nursing programs designed to quickly train students for high-demand professions.
For more information regarding Blinn’s Division of Health Sciences, visit www.blinn.edu/twe/healthsciences.html.
(Courtesy: Richard Bray, Blinn Infrormation)