Ten medical assisting students from Melissa High School traveled to Harry McKillop Elementary this week to conduct state-mandated hearing and vision screenings.
Dressed in scrubs, the high school seniors conducted the screenings on elementary students under the observation and guidance of health science teacher, Hallie Venner, and Laura Rodgers, school nurse.
The students' training over the last few weeks involved studying the anatomy and physiology of the ear and the eye, and studying the screening process. They also conducted peer practice screenings in the lab at school. This week, the students applied the skill in an official capacity.
High school student explains hearing screening instructions to elementary student.
Student documents results from vision screening.
"Hearing and vision assessments is one skill that the medical assisting students are expected to master prior to sitting for their certification exam," said Venner.
The students will take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam in the spring, with the potential to hold a certification upon graduation and immediately enter the work force after high school.
In years prior, Melissa's medical assisting students have traveled to Princeton for their course study. For the first time this year, students will complete the medical assisting program in-house at Melissa High School.
Medical assisting is a level-three course within the health science cluster in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program at Melissa Schools.
Elementary student participates in vision screening.