BRIEF: Charlestown Students Learn About Health Professions in After School Program
The MGH Institute is collaborating with Charlestown High School on an after-school program that engages English language learners in building health related vocabulary and exploring careers in the health professions. Ten students attend twice a week to learn about the educational pathways and knowledge and skills needed for different health professions.
On Monday, the students worked with Emily Eddy, the program director for the Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program and an Assistant Professor, and students Emerson Casey and Lauren Kemmer on how adaptive equipment can help people dress and prepare food.
“The high schoolers reflect in a journal after each session,” said Laura Plummer, Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. “Their reflections demonstrated an understanding of the difficulty of performing activities of daily living with only the use of one arm and they gained insight into how occupational therapists facilitate recovery and provide adaptive equipment to support independence.”
On Wednesday, they were in the simulation lab learning about taking vitals and caring for patients when they have seizures. Students worked with mannikins and also role-played caring for a patient after surgery with the help of Interim Dean of Nursing Patricia Reidy, PT Assistant Professor Jane Baldwin Angelina Dipietrantonio, an executive assistant and project specialist dean’s office, and Elina Palumbo, a senior simulation operations specialist.
The students have previously taken part in a mobility skills lab with PT faculty and students, visited the MGH Ether Dome to see the site of the first public surgery using anesthesia, and toured the MGH Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation. They also learned about best writing practices in healthcare, mental health and self-care, making a primary care appointment, interviewing a patient, recreation therapy with Spaulding Rehabilitation Adaptive Sports, and communication and speech language pathology with SLP faculty and students.
Next week, the students will be learning about wound care and anatomy before concluding the program on December 18 where they will create a report on what they have learned.
