A workshop led by Cascades East Family Medicine resident Derek Wiseman, M.D. provided Oregon Tech students with hands-on training and guidance in the art of suturing.
The March 7 workshop was organized by Oregon Tech's Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) chapter, a national honor society for preprofessional health students. Dr. Wiseman guided students through various stitching techniques and provided non-human specimens to practice on.
Casey Butz, AED president and co-president of the Health Sciences Club, helped organize the workshop. "We wanted students to get a real taste of hands-on medical experience before they even get into a graduate program," he said. "This will help them better understand exactly what they're headed into. Some students have used scalpels and forceps for anatomy and physiology labs when we worked on cadaver dissection, but in terms of actual suturing, this is the first time we've had anything like this. It's a very exciting opportunity."
As a graduate of Oregon Tech's Biology-Health Sciences program, Dr. Wiseman is particularly interested in providing students with more hands-on experience and the opportunity to interact with healthcare providers. "It's an easy, fun workshop that I would have appreciated as a student," said Dr. Wiseman. "It will hopefully excite students about the long, hard journey into medicine."
Originally from Klamath Falls, Dr. Wiseman taught anatomy labs at Oregon Tech for a year before enrolling in medical school at Oregon Health & Science University. He is now in his first year of residency.
Casey shared that this is the first event AED has held for its 16 members this year. The chapter is setting up mock interview workshops, webinar events with the University of Nevada Reno, and a Stop the Bleed event in the spring with Dr. Wiseman.
The students who attended the event include Zaysha Akina-Mahoe, Sydney Baker, Jaelynne Birkby, Rebecca Brogan, Alyx Burkhartzmeyer, William Caldwell, Kori Delgado, Diana Escamilla, Ialee Hering, Nick McMillen, Angel Mondragon, Elizabeth Peterson, Aja Phelps, Lydia Poss, Aaron Ruiz, Katie Sabin, Erin Skelton, Claire Wilson, and Chad Yanagisawa.
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