Last week, 11th and 12th grade students from AHA's anatomy classes went on an educational field trip to the University of Minnesota's M Simulation Lab. According to www.umn.edu, "the M Simulation team at the University of Minnesota designs and delivers simulated training experiences for health sciences learners at UMN and for external stakeholders of wide-ranging professions in the Twin Cities metro region, statewide including rural Minnesota, and beyond. Our mission is to collaboratively develop and implement innovative simulation-based educational opportunities for trainees to learn in safe environments as preparation for clinical practice." This lab serves as a training site for a wide variety of healthcare professionals - from nurses, doctors, and surgeons to dentists and veterinarians.

During the day, students had the opportunity to experience the simulation-based trainings firsthand. They rotated through three different stations that highlighted some of the many training scenarios the lab provides. They were taught how to use tools for laparoscopic surgery and practiced a number of different tasks. On another station, students were taught how to place a tourniquet on a mannequin. The mannequins were able to track how long it took and how much blood was lost during the process. In addition, students learned a variety of different healthcare skills such as chest compressions and intubation.

The students were led by Ms. Moravec, science teacher, who shared, "These mannequins could do it all - blink, breathe, bleed, move, and even talk! Overall, this was a wonderful interactive educational and career opportunity for our STEM students."