Inspiring Future Healthcare Professionals

Students from Area 31’s Medical Programs and Ben Davis High School’s PLTW Biomedical Science pathway had the opportunity to participate in the COOL-OTO (Community Outreach Opportunities for Learning Otology and Otolaryngology) event, hosted by the American Neurotology Society.

This unique outreach experience brought together 40+ physician volunteers, including professors, associate and assistant professors, and private practitioners, from across the nation, spanning San Diego, Oakland, Miami, Chicago, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Houston. Audiologists from the Indiana Department of Health were also on site, along with members of the Triological Society leadership team and 13 medical students representing a range of medical schools, including IU.

Students rotated through a series of interactive, hands-on stations, microdebrider, coblator, medical careers, mastoid drilling, airway/intubation, tracheostomy, CMF plating, ENT anatomy, endoscopic ear, hearing implants, foreign body removal, epistaxis packing, and audiology, each designed to ignite curiosity and connect classroom learning to real-world healthcare careers.

A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals, especially Dr. Angela Peng and Dr. Michael Hoa for their leadership in bringing this incredible experience to Area 31 and Ben Davis High School.