Have you ever wondered what the students in the Medical Academy do when they leave school early? After learning all basics of Anatomy and Health Science, dissecting brains, eyes, hearts, and even pigs, it is finally time to visit the hospital and talk to actual patients. All classes offered during junior and senior year include hours of clinical time. Every week, students taking EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) visit the hospital and rotate through different areas such as NICU, ICU, and Pediatrics.

While at the hospital, students get to shadow nurses, medical students, and doctors to get a small taste of what is like to work as a healthcare professional. They never know what to expect each day or who is going to come in through the door.

Labor and Delivery

Have you ever wondered what mothers go through before delivering a baby? At the Labor and Delivery unit, students have the chance to watch closely how the process goes. They had the chance to talk to the mothers in labor, transport them, feed them ice chips, and even watch births.

Postpartum

After those mothers deliver their babies, they are moved to Postpartum where students can take their vital signs and talk to them. Some lucky students even get the opportunity to hold the newborn babies while talking to the new moms.

NICU

While on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), they get to watch how premature babies are taken care of, how they are fed, and what kind of conditions they are suffering from. Students get to walk around the unit, read charts, and ask NICU nurses questions.

ICU

When adults end up in the hospital, sometimes they can be placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which is another location students can visit. The ICU receives patients who are in critical condition and need to be watched really closely. During their time in the ICU, students get to read charts and talk to patients.

ER

A mandatory location that every student has to go to is the Emergency Room. The students gets to decide if they would prefer going to the regular ER or the pediatric ER. After getting to the ER, the student picks one nurse who they will follow for the rest of the day. Students visit every bed to check on the patients, take vital signs, ask questions and even respond to questions asked by the nurses. Students have the responsibility to ask questions about the patient’s medical history to the nurse so they can later complete their documentation that is turned into their teacher.

Radiology

Radiology is also a possibility for students interested in learning about a career in the area. Many students love going to radiology because they get to learn a lot and even take home interesting pictures of what they saw.

Pediatrics

The Pediatrics floor is where kids who are admitted to the hospital are sent. While in this unit, students get to follow nurses, doctors, and medical students. Students have helped the nurses by doing vital signs and even setting up rooms prior to a patient’s admission. There is also the opportunity to ask the patients and their parents any questions relating to their medical history or condition they are suffering from. Playing with the little kids is also a perk that comes with visiting the peds floor along with a lot of learning.

Visiting the local hospital is a great way for students to learn what a normal day in the life of a healthcare worker is like. It allows students to discover which field they are more interested in and also learn about materials being taught in class.