Welcome!
Welcome to the Summer 2006 edition of the Health Careers Connection! The purpose of this quarterly electronic newsletter is to inform middle and high school students in Northeastern Wisconsin about items of interest in our region related to health careers. Our goal is to provide information that is both useful and interesting to you. We encourage you to provide content suggestions for future editions of this newsletter.  Email Jill Niemczyk


Health Careers Summer Camp 2006
The Lakeshore Health Care Alliance and NEWAHEC put on the second annual health careers summer camp. The camp was held from July 9-13. Twenty students from the Northeast region attended the five day and four night camp. The students got settled in their doom rooms at Lakeland College; had orientation and started camp by participating in team building activities to get to know each other.
          
On Monday morning the students were transported to Lakeshore Technical College. The students were exposed to surgical technology, nursing and dental professions. The campers enjoyed seeing the mock operating room, learning names of surgical instruments, working in the mouths of dental models and practicing many nursing skills. In the afternoon the group headed to UW-Sheboygan and worked in the Chemistry Lab. Then the students had a presentation on professionalism and interviewing skills and also learned about the profession of Art Therapy.
          
Tuesday the campers started at Holy Family Memorial hearing from professionals in the fields of Anesthesiology, Radiology, Dietetics and Cardiac Catheterization. The students had the opportunity to see equipment from a heart catheterization and try on the 30 pound lead vest the technicians wear. The campers had lunch with the hospitals dietitian; she was very impressed with some of our food choices. The students traveled to Aurora Medical Center in Two Rivers that afternoon where they were greeted by the medical flight helicopter; Eagle III. The students talked with the Emergency Medical Technician, Flight Nurse and the pilot. After watching Eagle III take off the students spent the rest of the afternoon with a Respiratory Therapist and an Athletic Trainer.
      

      
Wednesday like all of the other days was very busy. The camper’s explored four health care facilities; St. Nicholas Hospital, Marsho Medical Group, Medical Arts Center and Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center. The students heard from a Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, a Physician Assistant, Medical Laboratory Technician, and a Medical Technologist all before they had lunch. The students had the opportunity to practice using assistive equipment to get dressed; this simulates a patient receiving care from an Occupational Therapist. The Physician Assistant taught the students how to suture a wound; they practiced on a pig’s hind leg. That was really cool! Students also did some testing in the Laboratory and hooked up the EKG machine on a patient simulator. Wednesday evening we all had a little fun at a local water park!
      

      
Thursday was the last day of our camp, each one of the campers had the opportunity to shadow a health care professional for a couple of hours. After the job shadows all of the students met back on the campus to pack-up, say their good byes and attend the graduation ceremony where they had a chance to share their week long experience with their family and friends, both new and old.
          
Below are some comments that the students shared about their experience at the Health Careers Summer Camp. If you or someone you know is interested in attending camp next summer contact Jill Niemczyk Email Jill.
“It was very fun! I learned a lot.”
“It was an amazing experience and I had a fantastic time! Great people, fun professions, and intelligent mentors.”
“I loved this camp. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity. I learned a lot and have a much better idea of health careers that interest me. Thank you so much for this chance.”