Medical Explorers Learn About Head Trauma

Thirty-two high school juniors and seniors with an interest in healthcare experienced a 90 minute session on head trauma and traumatic brain injury at Georgia Campus – Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) recently. The students, along with four advisors from Gwinnett Medical Center, are part of the Gwinnett Medical Center Medical Explorers program.

According to Susan Stubbs, Director of Learning Resources at Gwinnett Medical Center (GMC), “The GMC Medical Explorers program provides exciting experiences related to more than twelve healthcare career fields.  It’s designed to help high school juniors and seniors learn more about fields they may want to pursue.” She noted that admission to the program is competitive and admits high performing high school students from across Gwinnett Medical Center’s service area. 

A GA-PCOM team of students, faculty and staff ensured that the students received a well-rounded and hands-on program centered on a fictitious high school athlete who experienced a hard hit during a varsity football game. The students learned about c-spine precaution and transportation, various brain traumas, closure of minor skin wounds with staples and pharmacotherapy considerations.

Student ambassadors, including Tatiana Rodriguez, (DO ’18), Matthew Aharonov (DO ‘ 19), Rachel Lewis (DO ’19), Hironobu Takeda (DO ‘ 18) and Porche Warren (DO ’19), shepherded the students to various stations and shared their medical school experience with the high schoolers.

Thanks to faculty and staff members for assisting with the program including: Bryan Ginn, Kim Lucier, Nancy McLaughlin, MHA, DHSc, PA-C, Abigail Hielscher, PhD, Mircea Anghelescu, MD, Jeffrey Seiple, MBA, Laura Baumgarten, Deepa Patel, PharmD, Brian Matayoshi, PhD, Simone Pitts, Aise Cannon, John Khan, Rolf Dzirson, Lance Semien, Alyssa D’Addieco and Barbara Myers. A special thanks to Mary-Catherine Ciuba, ATC, PA-C from Athens Orthopedic Clinic for volunteering her time to assist in the program. It definitely takes a village!