Fifteen pre-med students from Kettering University got a jumpstart on their medical education when they participated in a workshop at the Covenant HealthCare Simulation Center at the Central Michigan University (CMU) College of Medicine in Saginaw, Michigan. 

“This partnership with the CMU Simulation Center is just another great example of Kettering's commitment to experiential learning,” said Dr. Laura Vosejpka, Dean of the College of Sciences and Liberal Arts. “Doctors learn by doing and this program provides our students an opportunity to learn hands-on medical skills from experts in the field.”

The workshop taught students how to intubate, check vitals and airways and perform CPR and chest compressions. The workshop was the first of four that Kettering undergraduate students will conduct at the Simulation Center this year. 

“I was astounded by the realism that the simulation was able to create,” said Allison Seeley ‘21. “At my co-op I have observed many patient encounters, but have never acted as the provider for the patient. While in the simulation, I was forced to act instead of remain a bystander which drastically increased the intensity of the situation.”

Seeley is majoring in Biochemistry and currently completing her co-op as a scribe at Hurley Medical Center. 

The purpose of the simulation center is to enhance medical education and clinical practice in the region through the facilitation of simulated patient experiences and improve patient safety and outcomes through skills training in a team-based, learner-centered environment. The center is customizing the four workshops it will offer Kettering pre-med students to match their current educational experiences. The next three workshops will focus on CPR, heart attacks, strokes, external bleeding and bandaging. 

“It exceeded my expectations and it exceeded the expectations of the students,” said Stacy Seeley, Department Head of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the Pre-med Program. “Students learned how important communication is during an emergent situation and how essential it was to close the loop in communication during the simulation. The simulation was intense and kind of terrifying. You quickly forgot that you were working on a simulation dummy and not on a real person. It was very real for everyone involved.” 

Brandon Bedsole ‘19 participated in the simulation. He enjoyed the experience of seeing how symptoms are presented in the real world and how to best gain insights about medical history through communication with the patient and his medical peers. 

“This workshop has proven to be useful at my co-op since I now feel more comfortable in dire patient situations,” Allison Seeley said. “I now have a greater appreciation for the day-to-day activities of the physicians I work for at Hurley.” 

Kettering’s pre-med program is unique due to its distinctive academic schedule that intertwines rigorous undergraduate coursework with over two years of full-time co-op experience in the medical field. Pre-med students are completing their co-op at Hurley Medical Center, Beaumont Hospitals, Michigan Orthopedics and Lansing Urgent Care facilities, to name a few. The pre-med students at Kettering get a firsthand view of the medical field through their co-op experience while establishing key relationships with physicians who serve as mentors to them.

Additionally, Kettering has early assurance agreements with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine that ensures spots for Kettering pre-med students to attend medical school should they meet the established requirements. These early assurance options and clinical opportunities, combined with rigorous classroom and laboratory experiences, undergraduate research opportunities, and now the newly introduced simulation workshops give Kettering pre-med students an edge over the competition.  

“We want Kettering pre-med students to be as prepared as possible for medical school,” Stacy Seeley said. “Students go into medicine and are not necessarily prepared for the emotional side of medicine. There’s teamwork, communication and emotions involved. This simulation experience really drove that message home.” 

Click here to learn more about Kettering University’s Pre-Med program.