A pair of teams composed of Campbell University healthcare students took part recently in a unique competition at Duke University in Durham.
The teams of students from Campbell’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Physician Assistant programs competed in NC Scan, which is organized by PA students from Duke and modeled after the national iScan competition, held annually by the Society of Point-of-Care Ultrasound during the American Academy of PAs conference.
DO participants were Sarah Tong, Jack Larson, Peyton Phillips, Ainsley Forest and Cam Javdan; Nicole Ringuette and Katherine Kurec were part of the PA team.
“Both teams performed well and represented Campbell University in such a professional and skilled way,” said Dr. Cathy H. Daniels, director of Ultrasound Training in the Simulation Medicine Department at Campbell.
The competition, designed to challenge students while fostering collaboration and learning, featured six interactive stations, each of which focused on a different aspect of ultrasound knowledge. The teams had 15 minutes at each station to answer clinical questions and practice scanning under the guidance of experienced facilitators.
Ainsley Forest of Leesburg, Virginia, is scheduled to graduate from Campbell’s medical school in 2028.
“It was really cool to see how much we had learned throughout the first year, as well as get to learn from people with a wide variety of experience in different specialties,” Forest said.
Said Katherine Kurec, a first-year PA student from Williamsburg, Virginia, “The event was an excellent opportunity to practice and reinforce skills that we have learned in the classroom. The organizers included exercises and questions that challenged every level of medical student, and the hands-on learning experiences and brain-teasing clinical scenarios allowed all levels and styles of learners to walk away with new knowledge.”
Jack Larson, a first-year medical student from Carrboro, said the competition offered an incredible opportunity for hands-on learning, collaboration and friendly competition among future healthcare providers.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Duke PA Program and all the dedicated faculty who gave their time, expertise and enthusiasm to make this event such a success,” Larson said. “Their support and commitment to medical education truly made the day unforgettable.”
Cameron Javdon, a first-year medical student, said, “Participating in the ultrasound competition was an excellent learning experience, and I’m very grateful to the Duke PA program for hosting it. It was both fun and rewarding to put our ultrasound knowledge to the test, and it reminded me that I’ve learned much more than I realized,” said Javdon of Kent Island, Maryland.