The Hotchkiss Medical Society (HMS) educates and informs students about careers in medicine. The club is currently offering two on-campus courses, one in wilderness first-aid and the other to train students interested in becoming emergency medical responders (EMR).
EMRs provide basic first aid in emergencies. They are the lowest level of field-care provider recognized by Emergency Medical Services.
The EMR course is sponsored by the Salisbury Ambulance Squad and taught by Emergency Medical Services Instructor Kitty Hickox and other volunteers. The course is designed for first responders who are not medical professionals, such as police officers and firefighters. Students taking the EMR course can later take additional classes to gain certification as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).
This year is the first time HMS is running a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course for students. In the past, the course was offered to faculty members during Winter Break. It will be taught by a representative from Sharon Hospital.
The course teaches first-aid relevant to wilderness environments that are typically two or more hours from urban medical care. Jack Johnson ’22, a board member of HMS, said, “Those skills are…especially applicable to people at Hotchkiss…a school in a very remote place. This [information will be useful] to students or faculty who are doing a lot of activities outdoors, either recreationally or professionally.”
Although the WFA course has not yet begun, students have been enjoying the EMR classes. Abigail Renger ’23 said, “The skills…we are learning will be valuable, because we not only learn about the scientific aspect of [first-aid], but also many communication skills as well.”
Johnson envisions HMS offering additional classes in the coming years, such as EMT classes. EMTs are a step up from EMRs, because EMTs can perform additional procedures and administer some medications. He said, “We can definitely increase our offering[s] in the future.”
HMS organizes many other events throughout the year, such as a “Stop the Bleed” class, Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraising activities, and bake sales for various causes.