JOPLIN, Mo. — Medical students at Kansas City University Joplin are getting some real-life practice on response to situations, like natural disasters.
They participated in a mass casualty simulation.
During the exercise, students navigated through a staged disaster, to methodize and implement life-saving treatments.
First-year students played the role of disaster victims, and second-year students played the role of an EMT.
The entire event was organized by students, with the objective to better themselves.
“The goal is obviously to kind of become comfortable with the feelings. This might elicit the emotional response that they might have under that stress and trusting their skills, and knowing that they’re doing the right thing to help these patients,” said Seth Peavler, Medical Care Club President, KCU Joplin.
“This simulation actually helps them take their book skills and their lab skills into practice in a scenario that is more realistic. We hope that in doing that what we learned today and the things they did well and things weren’t done so well. We’ll be able to be corrected so that if this ever happens in the community, they’re ready to respond,” said John Paulson, Chair of Primary Care Dept., KCU Joplin.
The physicians observed the students and took notes to evaluate their performances.