McAllen ISD using virtual reality to help students become EMT's
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Emergency Medical Technician seniors at McAllen Independent School District are learning how to save lives through virtual reality.
McAllen ISD senior Lily Barrera uses virtual reality to work on skills she can use as an EMT.
"You do see a patient, you do have to ask the questions, you do have to intervene, and I think the way this program is set up is quite perfect because you know it's not just like one answer, it's not you go straight this way," Barrera said.
With VR, students are able to go through real-life scenarios they would encounter as paramedics and also get to interact with patients.
"We look at it as an in-between scenario that we do in class and real life. It kind of gives that balance of that transition, and so that's why we've kind of done that," EMG Program Coordinator Charles Myles said.
This is the first year Myles incorporates virtual reality into his program. He says using this new technology in the classroom will help better prepare students out in the field.
"We have these students that get taught in the classroom and then the next day they're on an ambulance. Well, the problem with that is that there's not a lot of that experience. So, this helps build that experience level to a degree," Myles said.
VR is just like playing a video game, except students are able to go through 41 chapters of learning different medical conditions.
They are given different scenarios like how to help someone with a broken leg or how to help someone who's having an allergic reaction.
Myles says even if students don't pursue an EMT career, the skills they learn gives them a medical background to work in law enforcement or other health careers.
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