JOHNSON CITY – Takoma Regional Hospital’s junior volunteers recently got the opportunity to take a turn at practicing medicine – thanks to a special training program and some very accommodating “patients” at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine.

Ten junior volunteers recently accompanied Lindy Riley, director of the junior volunteer program at Takoma Regional, on a field trip to the Quillen College of Medicine. During the visit, the hospital volunteers got to speak to students about the joys and rigors of medical school, visit the gross anatomy lab – and try their hands at medical practice in the patient simulator lab.

The patient simulator lab features computer-driven mannequins – the lab’s “patients” – who react in real time to various stimuli. The junior volunteers were trained to intubate their “patient” and check for vital signs.

  A panel of student representatives from the college’s various health-related fields, including ETSU’s new College of Pharmacy, met with the Takoma Regional volunteers to discuss their educational paths. College representative also discussed scholarship opportunities and the importance of preparing a personal resume for use in scholarship applications.

Takoma Regional offers its junior volunteer program to students ages 14-18 so they can gain a variety of experiences while providing a valuable service to the hospital and its patients. Junior volunteers are eligible to work in several capacities at Takoma Regional, including the laboratory, registration, cafeteria, medical records, gift shop and reception services. Students may also work in other hospital departments and gain a measure of satisfaction in helping others while getting an up-close look at the myriad career opportunities available in the hospital.