TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Some middle schoolers are still spending their summer break learning, but not in a typical classroom.
Banner University Medical Center Tucson is hosting a week-long camp giving seventh and eighth graders a look at careers in the medical field.
At just 13 years old, Isaiah Escamilla knows exactly what he wants to do.
“I want to save lives,” Escamilla said.
He plans to one day be a surgeon or nurse.
“I wanted to come to this camp because it shows me background and things that normal people can’t see,” he said.
During ‘Camp Scrubs,’ Escamilla and the other campers hear from professionals in the industry like physicians, nurses and microbiologists.
“They get to talk to professionals who tell them about how they fell into their career and what path they took,” Nursing Director, Mellissa Davis, said.
Attendee, Maggie Ratcliff, says she wants to be a pediatric surgeon, and during this week, she got a taste of what it could be like.
“I like working with kids,” the 12-year-old said. “Yesterday we went to the NICU and saw babies and stuff and then I like learning about surgery and autopsies and stuff.”
‘Camp Scrubs’ was started by nurses in 2004. This year, it became an option for more in the community as ten scholarships covering the cost of the camp were made possible by donors.
“Sometimes a week-long camp is not accessible for all families, so we were able to really get it out there, so we can have kids from all over Tucson come and participate this year," Davis said.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
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