Fauquier Hospital Gives Summer Camp a Medical Spin

It's a far cry from learning to canoe or build a campfire. But the Medical Day Camp run by Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton this summer offers its own kind of learning experience. Forty-seven junior volunteers signed up for the hospital's two-day hands-on sessions -- triple the number who came last year, the first time the camp was offered.

During the Level I camp late last month, young people with an interest in medicine practiced suturing, using pigs' feet; inserted IV lines into artificial arms; and learned how to do blood typing. They participated in a mock "code," handling the aftermath of a supposed auto accident, complete with a dummy victim. They handled human organs, including a gallbladder, a kidney and a liver, and removed corneas from donated human eyes provided by the Old Dominion Eye Foundation. A second session of the camp is slated for July 22 and 23.

At the new Level II camp Aug. 12 and 13, graduates of last year's program will explore more-complex areas of health care, including sports medicine, cardiology and mammography. The cost is $50 per session. For more information, call Julie Whisler at 540-316-2616.

-- M.J. McAteer