Nearly 400 high school students from across the state spent the day at the UConn Health Center learning about the health care field Friday for Clinical Career Day.
After a welcome from Health Center Administrators, the students and counselors explored the career fair in the Food Court. Rehabilitation Services had a booth with walkers, crutches, and a wheel chair. An IV pole could be seen in the air above the crowd of heads and a skeleton made an appearance wearing sunglasses.
Maria Zabarella, Meaghan Gustafson, and Taylor Bomely of Newington all said they attended the Career Day to learn about their options in nursing.
“I’m really interested in being a nurse, we all are,” said Zabarella.
Bomely, who is a senior this year, said she plans on going to UConn for a degree in nursing.
“It makes it even more of an incentive to come today,” she said.
After the career fair students attended three of the 17 breakout sessions offered.
The gross anatomy session was one of the most popular, giving students a chance to put on a pair of gloves and touch real organs. Twins Christina and Rachel Waskiewicz of New Britain stood side by side at the table. Christina held a brain in her hands.
“It’s slimy and heavy,” she said.
Next to her, Rachel held a large heart. “Look at the inside of this,” she said to her sister as she peered into the lining.
Matthew Merchant of Southwick-Tolland Regional High School rolled up the sleeves of his purple button-up shirt to examine a spinal cord. He and two other students had dressed in suits for the day and he said he did not think his mother would have expected him to be holding organs while wearing it.
In the NICU transport team session students were able to speak with nurse Melissa Fitzgerald and respiratory therapist Rick Libman. A doll was hooked up in the incubator at the front of the room and a monitor beeped in the background.
Students who attended the emergency medicine session heard from staff from the emergency department and emergency medical services. They learned that in emergency medicine, there is no such thing as a normal day.
Annie Niziolek, a nurse from the cardiac step down unit, spoke to students in the nursing career ladder session.
“I think Clinical Career Day is an awesome experience,” said Niziolek. “They didn’t have this 15 years ago when I went to school. It’s a great opportunity to see what’s out there; there’s so many different options in nursing.”
Niziolek said the message she wanted the students to take away from the day was, “They can really do this. It’s feasible.”
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