Utica High School Academy for Health and Human Services (HHS) are equipping themselves with healthcare knowledge outside of their textbooks.  

“They are learning all of the basics of what life is like in a medical center,” HHS academy advisor, Melissa Rice shared.  

Those basics include recording a patient’s medical history and how to properly take vital signs of a patient, such as pulse, blood pressure, temperature, weight, height, respiration and oxygen.  

9th grade HHS student, Nikita Bretz, felt this exercise was important because she was able to get to know her patients (12th grade medical students and Utica High School staff) while getting more medical experience before she pursues nursing in college.  

“I think it’s important to get practice before you go into something like this,” Bretz said.  

“The authenticity of this experience is really important,” Rice said. “We talk all the time about how important bedside manner is – the smartest student isn’t always going to be the best doctor.” 

The learning lab challenged students to converse with the patients face-to-face, maintain eye contact, be professional and smile while also pushing students to enter their patients personal bubble space to gather their vital signs.