YAKIMA, Wash. – High school students in Yakima are getting a glimpse into the medical field through the Multicare Academy for Students in Healthcare, known as MASH. The three-day camp aims to train the next generation of healthcare workers.
The camp, which has been running for over 20 years in Tacoma, is making its debut in Yakima Valley this year. Students are engaging in hands-on activities such as intubation and wound care.
Faviola Gomez, a student development professional with MultiCare, emphasized the camp’s diverse offerings.
“Students get to do suturing, intubation, so they learn some of the basics when it comes to that and then wound care as well,” she said. The camp also features a biomedical field demonstration and radiation oncology sessions.
Naches Valley High School senior Gavyn Osborn shared her personal motivation for attending.
“I actually am really interested in oncology specifically,” Osborn said.
Inspired by her father’s experience with cancer and radiation therapy, Osborn expressed a strong interest in the field.
“Seeing my dad in that area really opened my eyes,” she added. “I knew a lot of hands-on stuff just from, like, hearing [my father] him talk about it. So I think it’s, like, pretty accurate. It’s really interesting to hear about the actual doctor-like medical side of it. Like, this is how we’re working through this. I think it’s really interesting.”
Gomez highlighted the community support behind the camp.
“This is a really great opportunity for our local youth here. And it’s a lot of local volunteers that are here supporting MASH camp to make it happen,” she said.
The Pacific Northwest University‘s MultiCare Learning Center is hosting the camp, which introduces 30 local high school students to various medical disciplines.
