Students Gain Experience from Mass Casualty Drill

Inside MC Online

The Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus hosted the third annual mass casualty day last Saturday. A tornado disaster was the scenario for this year's exercise and about 40 volunteers were made up to look as if they had real injuries, simulating a variety of medical scenarios for the students, faculty, and staff involved in the drill. There were 100 participants in the drill. A mock hospital was set up including a triage area, an emergency room, a minor treatment unit, a surgical unit and a recovery room area. Patients were triaged and treated by students from all the health care departments, including diagnostic technicians from x-rays and sonography imaging. This learning experience allowed participants to practice health care skills for multiple injured people in a controlled but chaotic "disaster" situation. The College prepares health care providers in different forms including nursing, radiology technology, sonographers, and surgical technicians. These kinds of experiences better prepare students to be on the front lines of health care delivery. The Rockville Volunteer Fire Department's emergency medical technicians also participated in the drill, as well as some MC emergency preparedness management students.

Read More