Scrubbing In

Fifteen-year-old Jessica Brickley knew she wanted to go into healthcare. "Both of my parents have serious health problems so I've been thinking about this career choice for a while," says the Bloomington teenager.

Brickley wasn't sure she wanted to become a physician, but like many teens, she was unfamiliar with other health careers. Then a neighbor told her about Scrubs Camp.

A Taste Of College

Scrubs Camp was created by HealthForce Minnesota (http://www.healthforceminnesota.org), a collaborative partnership of education, industry and community. The program, held at Winona State University (www.winona.edu), introduces campers to health-related fields like electroneurodiagnostics, clinical laboratory science, nursing, emergency medical services, imaging and dental careers.

Participants spend five days at WSU, where they stay in the dorms and get a taste of college life. Last summer, half of the campers were from the Twin Cities metro area. The rest were from southern Minnesota.

A Camper's Day

Brickley and her fellow campers started their day around 6 a.m. when they got up, put on their bright purple scrubs and went to breakfast. "It really felt like a professional routine," Brickley says.

Brickley especially enjoyed a tour of the surgical suite at a nearby hospital, where they changed into surgical scrubs, masks and gloves. Working with mannequins, campers learned how to prep a patient for surgery, give an IV, apply the anesthesia mask and stitch up a wound.

She was also impressed by the EEG demonstration. "They hooked a student up to the machine. The student had wires all over her head, and when she chewed gum or blinked her eyes, the EEG spiked," Brickley says.

A Great Experience

During camp, Brickley earned certification in CPR and discovered she was attracted to nursing. As a first step toward becoming an RN, she plans to become a certified nursing assistant.

"I had a real good time," Brickley says. "I encourage other students to go to camp. It's an overall great experience. You'll really learn a lot."