Students explore hands-on learning and teamwork in healthcare simulation setting
College students from Aurora University got a taste of real-world healthcare training during a recent mentoring event at Midwestern University’s state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation (SIM) Center on the Downers Grove Campus.
Hosted as the capstone experience of the Mentors in Medicine & Science (MIMS) program, the event paired local undergraduates with student mentors from Midwestern’s medical, dental, and health professions programs. Together, they rotated through interactive stations focused on clinical skills like identifying heart and lung sounds, taking patient histories, and measuring vital signs.
The spring event, held in April, welcomed 20 mentees and 12 mentors who were able to attend. These participants represent just a portion of the program’s full mentor-mentee cohort.
Mentees had the chance to experience Midwestern’s One Health philosophy first-hand, an approach that brings together students from different healthcare fields to learn and work as a team, recognizing how human, animal, and environmental health are all connected. “The Simulation Center at Midwestern University was incredible,” said Andrea Garcia, a junior pre-dental student at Aurora University. “I didn’t know dental students trained alongside PA and medical students in their first year. It was cool seeing how hands-on and collaborative the program is.”
“The Simulation Center experience changed how I think about dentistry,” said Yarexy Castaneda, a sophomore pre-dental student also from Aurora University. “I always thought dentistry was just about oral health, but I learned how important it is to understand a patient’s full medical background. Learning about patient health histories, CPR, and SOAP notes really opened my eyes.”
Mentors like Isabella Matthews (CCOM ’28), a student at Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM), also appreciated the chance to be the guide they once needed. “When I was applying to med school, I had no one to really guide me. I did a lot of doom-scrolling and felt lost. That’s why I wanted to be a mentor,” she said. “I know how confusing it all can be, and it’s been really rewarding to help someone else figure it out in real time.”
Fellow medical student Danielle Gilchrist (CCOM ’28) shared a similar motivation. “I remember feeling like I was bothering people when I had questions about applying to medical school. I wanted to be the kind of mentor I wish I’d had,” she added.
The MIMS program is sponsored by the Offices of Multicultural Affairs and Community Outreach, Student Services, Admissions, and Communications. For more information about the MIMS Program, visit MIMS-IL.
About Midwestern University
Midwestern University is a private, not-for-profit graduate and postgraduate institution specializing in the health sciences. The University serves more than 6,800 students across two campuses. The 105-acre Downers Grove Campus in Illinois includes seven colleges: the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine; the College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove; the College of Health Sciences–Downers Grove Campus; the College of Dental Medicine–Illinois; the Chicago College of Optometry; the Proposed College of Veterinary Medicine–Illinois; and the College of Graduate Studies. The University also operates an 11-acre clinical campus that includes the Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic and the future Companion Animal Clinic. The 134-acre Glendale Campus in Arizona includes eight colleges: the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine; the College of Pharmacy, Glendale; the College of Health Sciences–Glendale Campus; the College of Dental Medicine–Arizona; the Arizona College of Optometry; the College of Veterinary Medicine-Arizona; the College of Graduate Studies; and the Arizona College of Podiatric Medicine. The campus also features five community clinics on a 40-acre clinical campus: the Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic, Dental Institute, Eye Institute, Animal Health Institute, and Therapy Institute.
Midwestern University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. For more information, visit https://www.midwestern.edu or call 630-515-7300. To learn more about Midwestern University Clinics, visit https://www.mwuclinics.com.