SPC Hosts Camp 98.6

The St. Philip's College Division of Health Sciences welcomed over 50 high school students June 23-26 for Camp 98.6, a four-day health sciences career exploration program designed to introduce students to the career paths available in today's health care workforce.

The initiative, launched in 2011, provides students with an immersive experience through hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations that simulate college-level learning and expose participants to the professions that make modern health care possible.

Throughout the week, students rotated in small groups through a series of "clinical shifts" and explored 13 programs, including cardiovascular technology, respiratory therapy, radiology, medical laboratory science and phlebotomy, health information technology, health care cybersecurity, histology, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and vision care.

Participants also completed a life-sized digital dissection using the Anatomage Table, stepped into virtual reality health care simulations, learned lifesaving skills through STOP THE BLEED®, participated in a Code Blue challenge, scrubbed in like surgical technologists and tested their teamwork in a medical escape room.

This year, the program expanded across the St. Philip’s College campus to introduce these students to offerings in our William Allen Hudgens Health and Wellness Building, Cybersecurity Innovation Center, and the Turbon Student Center. 

Guest speaker Christopher Mendoza, CEO of University Health Palo Alto Hospital, shared his passion for expanding health care access in the community. He encouraged students to set goals, pursue careers with purpose and envision themselves as future members of the health care workforce.

“Camp 98.6 is an amazing opportunity for local high school students to see, learn about, and participate in hands-on activities that demonstrate that health sciences are full of many career pathways. At St. Philip’s College, we’re proud to welcome future health care professionals and show them the real-world options for education and employment is available right here in our community.”

Camp 98.6 is made possible through an ongoing partnership with the Junior Volunteer Program at University Health San Antonio.