Radiology Day Camp and My Bellin College Experience

July 20, 2015

By Lucy Stedl – BSRS Class of 2016

11 high school students participated in this year’s radiology camp on Monday, July 13. We started at Bellin College where the students got a tour and then Mark Bake, the program director, talked a little bit about the field of radiology. When he was done talking 5 of us radiology students told them a little about ourselves, told them why we went into the profession, and gave them time to ask any questions they had. When we were done talking with the students we split them up in groups and started doing stations in the labs downstairs.

The first station took place in the x-ray lab where the campers were able to move the tube around and make various exposures including some on the mannequin Julius who has all the same bones as a human does. They also took an x-ray with items that would be in a patient’s pocket such as keys, earrings, chap stick, and a necklace to see how it would show up on an image. At this station they also went to the new build out to the surgery suite where they were able to see how a surgery is set up with the use of x-ray on a mannequin who has a bullet in his chest.

The next station taught the campers how important it was to protect ourselves and the patient by wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Here they learned how to properly put on gloves, a gown, and a mask. At the third station the campers learned how to start IVs. They were able to practice on the fake arms in the lab area that were filled with a red dye to simulate blood.

The final station took place in the simulation room with the mannequins who are able to talk and have vitals. This room was set up as a trauma situation where the patient had been in a motorcycle accident. The campers listened to the patient’s lung sounds, put them in a C-collar, hooked the patient up to oxygen and evaluated where the pain was coming from. The campers were able to use the portable x-ray machine to take images of the patient’s neck, arm, and ankle. At this station the students had to use their critical thinking in order to get the images that were needed.

When we finished rotating stations at the college we headed over to Bellin Hospital and had pizza for dinner. After dinner the campers were split into two groups and spent some time with technologist in the specialty areas of radiology including MRI, CT, and mammogram. They were also able to experience digital technology of the x-ray equipment at the hospital.

This camp was a really great experience for high school students to get a taste of what it is like to be a radiologic technologist. It is a great opportunity for them to see if radiology or even the healthcare field in general is a right fit for them. They received a well-rounded experience from this camp that will prepare them for whatever path they choose after high school.

I first got interested in radiology when a coworker of mine in high school was a student at Bellin College. I had no idea what I wanted to do at that point but I went with my gut and felt like this was the right field for me. I started researching schools that offered a degree in radiology and could not find anything like Bellin. There were a couple different things that really appealed to me about Bellin. One thing was the small atmosphere of the school and knowing that you weren’t just a number to them. Growing up close to Green Bay I also knew that Bellin had a great reputation in the community, but the main benefit for me about Bellin was that it was a Bachelor’s degree and that your senior year you would be able to learn about MRI, CT, and mammography. I did an hour job shadow at the hospital and decided that this is what I want to do. I wish I would have attended a camp like this when I was making my decision to get into the radiology field because when I look back I realized I got lucky and picked a career that I find myself really passionate about. My education thus far at Bellin College has been better than I could have ever imagined. We have a great relationship with our professors and they are willing to help us in any areas where we need it. The lab settings and tools we use create real life scenarios that give us a safe place to learn. And my clinical experience has really taken what I learned in the classroom and applied it to what I do with the patients I come in contact with. Next year I hope to graduate and find a job in a hospital setting and I know that I will be prepared to make that transition from a student to a technologist.