Students, residents, faculty and volunteers are all decked out in their surgical garb, thanks to the operating room nurses.
On May 8th, 12 sixth-grade students from City of Promise visited UVA Health for a day of hands-on learning and career exploration. City of Promise is a Charlottesville organization committed to eliminating generational poverty through coaching, mentoring, tutoring, and goal-setting for underserved children in the community. As part of their “Tour of the Town” each year, the students visit various local institutions to learn about potential career options for the future.
The event was hosted by the Housestaff Council for Diversity and Inclusion (HCDI), which is currently led by Surgery residents Chioma Moneme and Anthony Norman. Our residents collaborated with faculty from the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee to organize the event and give the students a broad exposure to health careers. Volunteers from the Departments of Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Family Medicine, as well as Perioperative Services, all contributed to the day’s success.
The students enjoyed spending the first part of the day in the Medical School Simulation Center, learning how to intubate, prepare patients for surgery, and use the ultrasound machines to identify organs. The students then toured the perioperative surgical home, interacting with the multi-disciplinary OR staff, learning about the paths to different careers in Periop, and practicing “gowning up” for sterile procedures. They rounded out the day with a visit to an outpatient clinic.
Note: All photos used with permission.
