Troy Middle School students practiced real emergency medicine skills and explored future healthcare careers in a hands-on workshop with staff from Albany Medical Center on December.
Troy Middle School students stepped into the world of emergency medicine on Friday as they took part in a hands-on “mini bootcamp” led by Albany Medical Center’s DREAM (Diversity, Recruitment, Education and Allyship in Medicine) Team. The experience gave students an up-close look at lifesaving skills and introduced them to a wide range of careers in healthcare.
Throughout the session, students moved through skill stations designed to mirror real scenarios emergency medical professionals face every day. They practiced CPR compressions on both adult and infant mannequins, learning how quick action can make a critical difference during cardiac emergencies. At the STOP THE BLEED® station, students explored basic wound care, applied tourniquets and discovered how anyone can provide meaningful help before first responders arrive.
Students also gained experience with splinting, learning how medical teams immobilize injuries to prevent further harm and reduce pain. In a surgical skills demonstration, they observed how staples and sutures are used to close wounds and how different techniques are chosen based on the size and location of an injury. Students also tried their hand at placing and removing staples and sutures.
Troy Middle School students practiced real emergency medicine skills and explored future healthcare careers in a hands-on workshop with staff from Albany Medical Center on December 5.
The day also included time for career exploration. Students spoke with emergency medicine professionals about a wide range of paths in healthcare, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, EMTs, medical researchers and nurse managers. These conversations helped students connect the hands-on skills they practiced to potential future careers.
While the session was just an introduction, it offered students an authentic look at emergency medicine and helped build confidence as they imagine their own futures.
By engaging students at the middle school level, the DREAM Team hopes to spark curiosity and encourage more young people to consider careers in medicine. For TMS students, Friday’s workshop served as an early step toward understanding what it means to care for others in moments of need, as well as the many career opportunities in the healthcare field.