BLINN HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER GIVES STUDENTS A LOOK AT HEALTHCARE CAREERS

  

At first glance, the scene on the second floor of Blinn College’s Health Science Center was grisly indeed.

Eight teenagers from area middle schools experimented with moulage, the art of applying mock injuries, at Blinn College’s second-annual Heath Sciences Summer Camp, designing true-to-life burns, bruises and wounds on themselves and fellow participants. After an hour of applying liquid latex and makeup, the group had everything from purple contusions to bloody lacerations.

“Oh my gosh,” Megan Massey gasped as she saw the eight-inch facial wound reflected in her cell phone’s camera.

“You said you wanted it across your whole face,” responded Abigayle Williams, Massey’s moulage artist, showing off a burn on her left forearm.

Participants explored an array health-related fields during the three-day camp at the College’s Health Science Center campus, a 23,000-square foot state-of-the-art facility featuring the latest clinical simulation technology.

Faculty, staff and local healthcare professionals introduced students to physical therapy, fire science, emergency medical services, dental hygiene, therapeutics manufacturing, nursing, radiology and health information technology through presentations and hands-on simulation activities. This year featured a new session on service animals and their role in assisting individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses.

“Middle school is the perfect time to spark a career interest,” said Sami Rahman, director of simulations. “We’re here to give them the opportunity to figure out what they want to do as early as possible.”

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Williams, who attended the camp with her twin sister Olivia. “Even if you don’t want to be in the medical field, you should come get the experience. It might change your mind.”

For more information regarding the Health Sciences Summer Camp, contact Rahman at sami.rahman@blinn.edu.

Blinn’s Division of Health Sciences, based at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, offers associate degree nursing, dental hygiene, emergency medical services, physical therapist assistant, radiologic technology, fire science, therapeutics manufacturing, veterinary technology and vocational nursing programs designed to train students for high-demand professions.