On Monday, June 26, 10 camp counselors welcomed 40 high-schoolers from rural communities in Illinois to a jam-packed three days of learning, career information, and fun.

The camp, sponsored by the National Center for Rural Health Professions, is a program for young students interested in the health care field. It was held this year at Bishop Lane Retreat Center, just outside Rockford.

After orientation, a respiratory therapist helped the campers take turns learning how to properly intubate a patient; a nurse anesthetist had them practice inserting epidurals and walked them through several tips on where and how to place spinal taps; and current medical students led them in a suturing class. They learned how to use basic suturing tools and the importance of suture materials used in surgery and medicine.

Campers also took part in small sessions on vital signs, learning how to check each other’s blood pressure and listen to heart rates using the stethoscopes they campers get to take home with them. There was also a hand-washing and hand sanitizing experiment, followed by a “camp counselor Q&A” before the opening campfire. That was all the first day!

On Tuesday, a nutritionist introduced campers to the “Food Plate” (instead of the Food Pyramid) and led them on an interactive activity where they had to choose a balanced plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A family medicine physician talked about her career in rural medicine. She shared an interesting video on what to look for on the eardrum and the passage of the outer ear, then let campers look into each other’s ears with an otoscope. They also had fun testing each other’s reflexes of the nerves and muscles with a reflex hammer and heard a presentation about the importance of behavioral health and mental wellness, along with a Q&A activity involving a Kahoot survey, with swag for the winning teams.

A nursing student used a Play-Doh and powdered-sugar model to demonstrate how Type 2 diabetes affects our blood supply, and she brought more goodies for the campers to take home. Each night, the campers were given some free time to enjoy the sand volleyball court, a variety of both indoor and outdoor games to play, and the opportunity to roast marshmallows and snack on as many s’mores as their hearts desired. The camp counselors’ rural backgrounds definitely came in handy when tending to the roaring campfire!

On the last day of camp, the group traveled to the campus of University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. After a welcome, the students got to introduce themselves and their hometowns to the RMED recruiter, who travels the state each year to recruit students to the Rural Medical Education program at UIC’s College of Medicine Rockford. RMED is an internationally recognized for students who will practice medicine in a rural location after completion of their residency.

The morning was all about emergency medicine. A paramedic team parked their ambulance for the campers to learn about what they do to help patients regularly on their 911 calls. Campers asked provocative questions such as “How fast can you drive?” (Answer: the ambulance doesn’t go over 87 mph.)

The Rockford Fire Department brought a fire truck, as well as their own recruiter. The fire fighters led an open discussion about how to become a firefighter, salary, schedules, and the ins and outs of their daily jobs. Campers also learned the history behind the shape of the fire helmet and why the front is always leather. (Leather doesn’t burn as easily, so in the unfortunate situation where a firefighter loses their life in a fire, the hat will most likely be recovered.)

Finally, the team from the Winnebago County Coroner’s office engaged the campers in a fascinating discussion regarding their work, including how they handle difficult situations and personally deal with their emotions.

And then, there was plenty of pizza and lots of garlic knots for the hungry campers and staff.

Rural Health Careers Camp was an unforgettable three days of learning, having fun, and making memories. It was moving to see the impact it made on the 40 campers from rural areas who were able to attend this year.

The camp is offered every summer. Learn more about Rural Health Careers Camp