High school students get hands-on experience in health science careers at King’s College - EUROPE SAYS
Ryan Kosek (right), 17, of Pittston, and Riley Pierce, 17, of Exeter, help each other learn how to apply sutures during King’s College’s annual health sciences camp. Margaret Roarty | Times LeaderMichelle. . .
Ryan Kosek (right), 17, of Pittston, and Riley Pierce, 17, of Exeter, help each other learn how to apply sutures during King’s College’s annual health sciences camp. Margaret Roarty | Times LeaderMichelle Gauntlett (right), assistant clinical director of King’s Physician Assistant Department, assists Bianca Buskirk (center), 17, of Allentown, and Gabriella Cambricki (left), 17, of Pittston, with their suturing. Margaret Roarty | Times LeaderAllie Green (right), 16, of Hellertown, watches as DeSales student Brianna Dessoye, 20, shows her how to use sutures during Thursday’s health science camp at King’s College. Margaret Roarty | Times LeaderBill Reynolds, assistant clinical director of King’s College’s Physician Assistant Department, demonstrates to a group of high school students how to use their suture kit on Thursday. Margaret Roarty | Times Leader❮❯WILKES-BARRE — High school students experienced a little bit of what it means to work in healthcare this summer during King’s College’s fourth annual health sciences camp. Students in grades 9 through 12 spent the past week learning from local experts through hands-on activities in the fields of physician assistant, occupational therapy, athletic training, exercise science, nutrition, dentistry, and nursing. On Thursday morning, 60 students gathered in the Frank and Carolyn Kowalski Center for Advanced Healthcare Education on North Main Street for a class on basic suturing. Each student was given a suturing practice kit that included a suture pad with pre-cut wounds, suture tools, and suture thread and needle. A handful of King’s instructors oversaw the session, including camp director Jenn Dessoye, assistant clinical directors of the PA Department Michelle Gauntlett and Bill Reynolds, and PA Department academic coordinator and assistant clinical professor Jillian Korgeski. Before the practice activity began, there was a Q&A session, which allowed students to get a better understanding of what to expect when they go to college and then head out into the workforce. “We expose students to over 40 different careers in health sciences,” Dessoye said during Thursday morning’s class. That exposure gives students the tools they need to figure out what career they want before they even apply to college. “The average college kid changes their major about three times,” Dessoye explained. “So, if we can give them a better feel of all the careers that are out there to find their better fit coming into freshman year, so they don’t add years and money onto their schooling. ”16-year-old Allie Green, of Hellertown, who is entering her junior year of high school, had been interested in becoming a physician’s assistant for a while. Thursday’s workshop allowed her to experience some of what that job would entail, and helped her step out of her comfort zone. “I felt like it would be an important learning experience,” she said. Although the camp was nerve-racking and overwhelming, Green was happy she participated. “Even though it was scary at times, it was definitely worth it because now I know I still want to be a physician’s assistant,” said Green. Also helping the instructors were a group of King’s, DeSales University, and Misericordia University students who participated in the camp in previous years and are now health science majors. “They get to have their peers helping them, which is really great,” said Dessoye. Dessoye’s own daughter, Brianna Dessoye, 20, was assisting on Thursday. A junior PA major at DeSales, Brianna grew up going to the camp every year. “Everything was so hands-on and interactive. It’s nice to figure out what you want to do,” she said. Making connections with instructors and other students was also a huge draw for Brianna. “You’ll have these connections for the rest of your life,” she said. Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader. com, and more. Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism. Click for subscription offers.