In one room at TidalHealth Nanticoke, students were getting suited up to go into the Operating Room. In another, they were practicing CPR. Meanwhile, students took their peers’ vital signs while others explored the TidalHealth Mobile Mammography van.
About 40 Sussex County high school students learned about medical careers Saturday, March 28, as part of Explore Rural Medicine: A Hands-On Skills Day for High School Students, hosted by the Delaware Institute for Medical Education and Research (DIMER) Committee on Rural Health.
“It’s essential that we engage early with the next generation,” said Joseph H. Kim, DO, FAAFP, executive medical director of TidalHealth Primary Care and chair of the DIMER Committee on Rural Health. “At this event, local high school students really got to see what a future medical career could look like — and specifically in the rural environment where they live.”
The attendees heard from Dr. Ariella Alexander, a Seaford native, and medical student Clarice Elline Pamplona, a Delmar native, about the journey of becoming a physician. Penny Short, president of TidalHealth Nanticoke, and Gov. Matt Meyer spoke to the students about their personal stories and encouraged them to pursue their passions, mentorship and healthcare opportunities in Sussex County.
Residents from TidalHealth, as well as medical students from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Sidney Kimmel Medical College, taught the high school students CPR, intubation, EKG and vitals assessment. TidalHealth team members guided them through the Operating Room, radiology department, community van and the Mobile Mammography unit.
Dr. Kim thanked all those who organized and volunteered at Explore Rural Medicine. The free event was presented by TidalHealth in collaboration with the Delaware Academy of Medicine and Public Health as part of the Delaware Mini Medical School Program. The Delaware Health Sciences Alliance and Delaware Department of Health and Social Services also collaborated on the event.
