MASH Camp Introduces Kids to Health Care

7/17/2012 (Updated 11:42:13 PM)

(Source: Jason Weinstein)

As this life flight landed on the roof of Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City there were more than doctors and nurses ready to respond.

30 8th- and 9th-graders from local schools were there to soak in knowledge and see first-hand from this training flight what goes into medical emergencies at M-A-S-H camp.

"It surprised me how small it was because I don't see how you can get anybody in there," said Susquehanna Valley student
Rachel Burford.

"How small it is and how they have to maneuver and help out patients," said Susquehanna Valley student Linnea Kolanda.

The camp is hosted by UHS and in it's 10th year. It's meant to encourage young people to consider careers in health care.

"We've learned that bringing in kids later high school they've already made up their minds about whether they would like health care or not. Bringing them in a little younger like this helps them to decide health care might be the right field for them." said UHS Nurse Educator Candise Contento.

"Hopefully they get some insight into what we do and think about it as a possible career. I was their age when I decided this is what I wanted to do," said flight nurse Kyle Williams.

Many here say a health care career is in their future.

"It does look more interesting now that I know about the hospital," said Binghamton student Thomas Coe.

"I was thinking maybe being a surgeon or being somewhere in the emergency room," said Burford.

"A trauma nurse. Because I really like how they did the stuff and how they keep calm and everything," said Newark Valley student Katelyn Wahl.

Some fields of health care stood out to the students.

"I really enjoyed the Emergency Department. That was really fun," said Kolanda.

"The pharmacy. It was cool. We got to fill out our prescriptions of sorts and make our own labels and stuff. That was fun," said Union-Endicott student Matt Simmons.

The two-day camp ends tomorrow. in Johnson City, Jason Weinstein, Fox 40 News.


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