Sixty high school and college students interested in health care careers got hands-on experience dissecting animal hearts, lungs, joints and other body parts at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital’s annual “I Body: Human Body and Health summer camp.”

“I Body is a state-of-the-art camp that offers interactive programs with highly skilled physicians and nurses,” said Marcie Calandra, a cardiovascular nurse specialist, advanced practice nurse and Magnet project manager at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. “We are truly excited about the way the camp encompasses such complex information and makes it both understandable and fun.”

During the 10-day camp, students were able to interact with physicians and operating room staff as open heart and orthopedic surgeries were conducted. Students even asked questions during the procedures. Topics included: live interactive open-heart surgery and orthopedic surgery, experiences and education in interventional radiology, cardiac catheterization, diabetes and hypertension, intensive care, neurology, gastrointestinal, pulmonary medicine, newborn intensive care, cardiac rehabilitation, electrophysiology lab, microbiology, global health trends, bioterrorism, and dissection.

Camp gives students a chance to learn from doctors
This year, the camp expanded to provide a more sophisticated experience for the high school and college student.

“We wanted to provide students the opportunity for close, interactive experiences with our physicians, nurse specialists, professional practice nurses, pharmacists, patient support service providers and other world-class expert health care practitioners,” Calandra said. “This camp gave students hands-on experience in the exciting careers offered in the health care field.”

Organ dissection, experimentation, small group consultations, on-site observations DVD presentations, simulators and computer models provided interactive learning experiences. Students learned the anatomy, physiology and pathology of various organ systems.

“Students came away with knowledge of the awesome nature of the human body and the importance of making wise health care choices to facilitate the long-term health of their own bodies,” Calandra said.