From raising money for a global health charity to helping with a community food network, students from the School of Medicine’s Master of Science in Anesthesia program have busily put their competitive nature to work in an effort to capture the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants Cup, a competition to recognize the most community-involved Anesthesiologist Assistants program in the country.
AA students from the School of Medicine recently dressed as zombies and spent an evening scaring guests at the Worlds of Fun Halloween Haunt, helping with admissions and directing guests inside the park. The event was part of a fund-raiser for the Lifebox Foundation, a global health charity that uses technology and training to make surgery safer in low-resource countries across Africa, Asia, South America and the Western Pacific. Funds are needed to provide vital pieces of medical equipment such as the pulse oximeter.
Students spent several hours one evening at Harvesters, a community food network, packaging soda and water for distribution to local food banks. They also donated time to work with a local church’s fall festival, which included participating in activities such as playing basketball with children and helping prepare and serve a meal.
The UMKC MSA program was recognized for the second straight year for having 100% PAC participation at the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting. Last year, the program was one of two such AA programs recognized, and this year it was one of four. UMKC was also the only school that had 100% participation from both its AA training program and anesthesiology residency programs. It was the second year for that recognition as well.
