Not only does SMC have experienced and caring doctors, nurses, and techs on staff, but the hospital also has affiliations with several universities and colleges to introduce healthcare students to the real world of medicine.
“Students who come to SMC to participate in clinical rotations get a taste of what it’s really like to work in a hospital environment,” said Dr. Tammy Torres, CEO. “We are pleased to open our doors to them to encourage and inspire their future medical careers.”
Yale University physician assistant students are currently making rounds here thanks to a recent Clinical Experience Agreement with the Ivy League school.
“SMC will provide these physician assistant students with practical clinical experience in diagnosis, evaluation, and management of a wide range of emergency medical, surgical and traumatic conditions,” said Chief Nursing Officer Ekene Ejimofor. “The Yale students will participate in the care of patients in all triage acuity classifications and become familiar with the indications for and process of emergency department diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.”
SMC also has agreements with several other universities including West Chester and St. Elizabeth for physician assistants, Temple and Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers for pharmacy, and Rutgers and Salem Community College for nursing.
“This experience is designed to augment, strengthen and refine the students’ skills by introducing them to a real-life hospital experience,” said Ejimofor. “By the end of each rotation, each student will have gained an appreciation for the operations of the department they worked in and the role they are studying.”
Clinical Educator Shay DiBartolomeo believes that offering students the chance to see first-hand situations that can be experienced as caregivers shows them what it takes to succeed in the medical field.
“Clinicals and shadowing programs are arguably the most critical part of the education process since they allow the students to apply learned skills in a real-life setting,” said DiBartolomeo.