Student Mentorship at Sacred Heart ER

At Sacred Heart ER, we believe one of the most meaningful things we can do is open our doors to students who dream of a future in medicine. Through hands-on events and one-on-one guidance, our team helps high school and college students see what it truly takes to work in emergency care — and we’re committed to hosting these opportunities again and again.

Inspiring the Next Generation: A Day in the ER

Recently, we welcomed a group of high school and college students from our community for an immersive, hands-on day in the Emergency Department — and it was a day none of us will soon forget.

Coordinated by Dr. Mark Im, this wasn’t a sit-and-listen lecture. Over the course of four hours, students rotated through a series of interactive skill stations, getting their hands on real equipment and learning directly from the people who use it every day. Just as importantly, they got to see what it truly takes to work in emergency medicine: not just clinical skill, but respect, teamwork, and commitment from every single member of the team.

Medicine Is a Team Sport

One of the messages we hoped students would carry home is that an Emergency Department runs on far more than its physicians. It takes a whole team, and every role matters. Our doctors, nurses, X-ray technologists, ER technicians, front desk staff, and administrators all came together to make this event happen — and each of them shared a piece of what they do. When a patient’s life is on the line, the coordination between all of these roles is what makes good outcomes possible. We wanted students to leave understanding that respect and commitment from everyone is the foundation of good medicine.

What the Students Experienced

Working in small pairs, students moved through seven hands-on stations, with our physician and staff circulating to give individual coaching along the way:

• CPR — Students learned the chain of survival and practiced high-quality chest compressions and rescue breaths on a training manikin, feeling firsthand the rhythm and depth that real CPR demands.
• Airway Management — Using an airway trainer, students worked a bag-valve mask, learned the “airway ladder,” and watched an up-close demonstration of how advanced airways are placed.
• Suturing — With practice materials, students placed their own sutures and learned what goes into closing a wound properly.
• EKG Reading — Students applied leads, printed real tracings, and learned to recognize a handful of important heart rhythms.
• Bedside Ultrasound — Students held the probe themselves and saw the heart and abdominal organs come to life on screen in real time.
• X-ray Interpretation — Using a simple approach, students tried their hand at spotting findings on real teaching films.
• IV Access & Blood Draw — Students learned about veins, watched IV and blood-draw technique, and got to know the color-coded world of laboratory tubes.

The afternoon closed with a guided emergency simulation, where students worked as a team to think through a patient scenario from start to finish — pulling together everything they had learned across the stations.

A Day to Remember

The energy in the room was wonderful. Students leaned in with curiosity, asked great questions, and encouraged one another as they tried each new skill. Watching them rotate from station to station — a little nervous at first, then growing more confident with every turn — was a reminder of exactly why we do this.

To every student who joined us: thank you for your enthusiasm and your genuine interest in the field. And to our entire Sacred Heart ER team, thank you for giving your time and heart to help guide these young people along their journey.

Sacred Heart ER is proud to support students as they explore a future in medicine. We look forward to hosting many more days like this one.

Interested in a future student event at Sacred Heart ER? Reach out to our team to learn more.