Advocate Condell’s Trauma Day provides high school students with a glimpse into health care

LIBERTYVILLE – Advocate Condell Medical Center on April 25 welcomed 100 students from 10 local high schools and the Lake County Tech Campus for a “day in the life” experience at Lake County’s sole Level 1 Trauma Center.

Throughout the event, students rotated through stations, each led by a team specializing in trauma patient care. Station leaders demonstrated their roles and shared insights into their career paths in health care. In the simulation lab, students participated in a realistic emergency department trauma scenario in which they practiced intraosseous IV insertion on a high-fidelity manikin.

“Trauma Day provides students with a unique, hands-on experience of what it’s like to work in health care,” said Sharon Esterquest, trauma coordinator at Advocate Condell. “It’s exciting to see their curiosity and enthusiasm grow as they experience firsthand the critical work that happens at a hospital. We hope they leave with a deeper understanding of health care and a newfound passion to pursue a career in this rewarding field.”

Among the attendees was Norah Belmonte, a senior at Carmel Catholic High School. Coming from a family of doctors, she always has aspired to work in the medical field. Her experience as an athlete sparked an interest in sports medicine, and next year she plans to study kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I appreciate how Trauma Day gives high school students like me a firsthand look at potential career paths,” Belmonte said. “With medical school being highly competitive, starting early and exploring different specialties is really valuable.”

Stevenson High School senior Jaden Mascarenhas was inspired to pursue a career in health care after helping care for his grandfather, who had advanced dementia.

“Taking care of my grandpa showed me how I could make an impact in his life, and it gave me confidence to work toward my goal of entering the medical field,” Mascarenhas said. “I hadn’t had any previous job shadow opportunities in health care, so attending Trauma Day allowed me to explore the diverse professions within trauma, especially emergency medicine.”

Mascarenhas looks forward to studying psychology at Loyola University Chicago and is interested in pursuing a career in psychiatry, pediatrics or emergency medicine.

Participating teams for Trauma Day included Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services – Libertyville, Flight Team, Intensive Care Unit, Lake County Sheriff, Operating Room, Radiology, Simulation Lab and Trauma Team.