From resuscitation, to sutures, to carving teeth out of soap, and to drawing blood; a few dozen local kids along with their mentors got some rare and valuable hands-on training Saturday on how to become a physician or dentist.
"It's kind of the best way you can spend your free time," said Will Knecht, a Big Brother with the Big Brothers & Big Sisters Organization.
It was all part of the "Mentors in Medicine" event held at the UT Health Science Center in Houston.
"This is the first time for this event with Big Brothers and Big Sisters," said Dr. Judianne Kellaway, Asst. Dean of Admissions at UT Medical School. "We are so excited. We have been planning this for a long time."
It's also the first time the medical school got to host some of it's youngest guest students such as 7 years-old Cianna Gray.
"It's cool," said Cianna.
The kids get the same type of training residents and medical students have to pay for. They're working in a state of the art, multiple million-dollar facility, and they get to handle lifelike mannequins, which can cost more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Organizers say the purpose was to get youngsters excited about a career in healthcare, especially in the midst of a nationwide doctor shortage.
"It's very rewarding ... to give them experiences like this to show them it's within their reach," said Dr. Kellaway. "They can do this."
Thanks to the mentor's efforts at least one seed has already been planted in the heart of a little girl whose dream is to save many lives.
"I want to be a doctor because you can do many things to help people," said Cianna Gray. "It's really excited... It lights my face up when I see people and they are not sick anymore."
"It's kind of the best way you can spend your free time," said Will Knecht, a Big Brother with the Big Brothers & Big Sisters Organization.
It was all part of the "Mentors in Medicine" event held at the UT Health Science Center in Houston.
"This is the first time for this event with Big Brothers and Big Sisters," said Dr. Judianne Kellaway, Asst. Dean of Admissions at UT Medical School. "We are so excited. We have been planning this for a long time."
It's also the first time the medical school got to host some of it's youngest guest students such as 7 years-old Cianna Gray.
"It's cool," said Cianna.
The kids get the same type of training residents and medical students have to pay for. They're working in a state of the art, multiple million-dollar facility, and they get to handle lifelike mannequins, which can cost more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Organizers say the purpose was to get youngsters excited about a career in healthcare, especially in the midst of a nationwide doctor shortage.
"It's very rewarding ... to give them experiences like this to show them it's within their reach," said Dr. Kellaway. "They can do this."
Thanks to the mentor's efforts at least one seed has already been planted in the heart of a little girl whose dream is to save many lives.
"I want to be a doctor because you can do many things to help people," said Cianna Gray. "It's really excited... It lights my face up when I see people and they are not sick anymore."
