After three weeks of intense learning, 22 Pine Bush High School students graduated from the Medical Summer Enrichment Academy, with hands-on experiences, knowledge from some formidable healthcare providers and memories to last a lifetime.
The three-week academy provided 97 hours of instruction in anatomy and physiology, and expertise from many guest speakers.
The students who participated in the academy experienced Trauma Day, where they first learned about various sports injuries and how to manage them from the perspective of an athletic trainer. The students were then thrown into four different trauma scenes. They were presented with a motor vehicle accident, an earthquake scenario, a hiking trail bear attack, and a pub altercation reenactment. On this day the students were assisted by the Bullville Fire and Ambulance Corps.
Mike Reineke taught CPR and water rescue. All of the students earned their CPE certification. Representatives from Garnet Medical Center and Touro Osteopathic Medical School also shared their knowledge.
The group took its annual field trip to Philadelphia, visiting the Mutter Museum, the Franklin Institute of Science, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where they ran up the steep steps Rocky-like.
Dr. Michael Raucci, who has run this program for more than a dozen years, thanked everyone who was involved in making this academy such a success, including district and high school administrators, a very supportive board of education.
He gave special thanks to his fellow instructors Antonia Ciccarelli, a CVMS science teacher and athletic trainer, Elizabeth Schmidt, the district’s athletic trainer, and Ariana Rogers, the instructional assistant for the academy.
Superintendent Joe Lenz congratulated the group on completing this rigorous curriculum.
“Over the past three weeks, you’ve gained insight into careers that save lives, improve health and make a difference in communities every day,” he said. “Whether this experience confirmed your dream of working in healthcare or simply opened your eyes to new possibilities, you have expanded your horizons and that’s something to be proud of.”
Finally, Dr. Raucci thanked the families for “investing in our young people.”
“They’re going to do great things,” he added.
And to the students Dr. Raucci added, “People who go into healthcare, it’s not about money. That’s a secondary issue. How you care for people is what’s important.”
Congratulations to all the students who graduated from the Medical Academy! You make us Pine Bush proud!
Medical Academy Graduates
- Hailey Balkissoon
- Melanie Cabrera
- Juan Pablo Cabrera
- William Chen
- Mercedes Delille
- Mia Edwards
- Lillian Fisher *
- Angela Ianazzi
- Malaika Khan
- Saoirse Lalli
- Catherine Mahoney*
- Kate Megello *
- Sukaina Mohamed-Maksooth
- Madelline Monahan
- Taylor Moser
- Isabella Mosquera
- Giuliana Raldiris
- Lucas Rossello
- Emma Sorge
- Iyana Steinard
- Megan Sullivan
- Leah Waterman
*Received Dominical University College Credit
