On October 5, 2022, the high school anatomy class was given the opportunity to tour the Putnam County Hospital and to witness each service offered in our local community. The class toured and learned about several different departments such as radiology, pharmacy, oncology, emergency, family medicine, human resources, and physical therapy.
The first place the class toured was the radiology department. The class was able to see an x-ray machine and learn about radiology. In the x-ray room, the lights were kept dim and the walls and doors were lead-lined in order to prevent radiation from leaking out. Then, we were escorted to a classroom and representatives from the other departments presented information about their respective areas.
The first representative was a pharmacist. He spoke about being a pharmacist and the variety of jobs you can have with a pharmaceutical degree. Then, the representatives from the departments of oncology, emergency, family medicine, human resources, and physical therapy all spoke one at a time. Each person spoke about their job, talking about the education required and the obligations of the job. The oncology nurse said that it takes a 2 year or 4 year degree to work as an oncology nurse, and that interestingly, chemotherapy is administered through an IV called a centerline. The emergency nurse said that they must be prepared for anything and that most of their patients are experiencing the worst day of their life. The family medicine nurse said that their job requires a master’s or doctorate degree and they typically see their patients from birth until death. The HR manager gave advice on resumes saying that they should be balanced and that anyone who works in a hospital should be a people person. Lastly, the physical therapist gave us advice on why we should be moving around more and he talked about how he gets 2-3 new patients per day.
In conclusion, visiting the Putnam County Hospital was certainly a memorable experience. It was very fun and interesting to learn about all the different types of careers and I hope that I will not soon forget it.