M.O.O.N Program

“M.O.O.N. is so much more than other healthcare observation programs! It is a truly immersive experience all students should partake in before going into med school! At M.O.O.N., I was able to witness many surgeries, complete rounds with doctors of various professions, and truly come to understand the daily life of a healthcare worker! I was eager to arrive and see what adventures awaited me that day in the hospital. Every employee of St. Elizabeth was so kind and truly cared about every detail of your experience! From nurses allowing me to dissect a cancerous piece of lung tissue removed from a patient to doctors letting me stand beside them over an operating table, I felt like part of the St. E family during the length of the program!

Being the only candidate from Indiana, I woke up every day to a 2-hour drive; but it was worth every mile! I woke up each morning, dawned my coat, and went out the front door with a smile ready to see what awaited me that day! The team behind the program itself is a group of some of the most caring and thoughtful ladies I have ever met, there to help you every step of the way should you need it. At M.O.O.N., I didn’t feel like a program member; I felt like family. To anyone hesitant to apply, let me tell you this, it is truly a once in a lifetime experience that you cannot get anywhere else! To anyone that helped with the program, God Bless you for such an amazing opportunity!”

“The M.O.O.N Program was a most memorable experience. Ever since I was little, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor. What I didn’t know was in which field; I wanted to know what the lifestyle would be like. Like most students, my experience with the medical field ended once the doctor left the exam room. The M.O.O.N Program allowed me to tag along after that door closed, and through simulation labs and going from office to office, I got to dress up in my white coat to play doctor for the week. I learned how to tie a tourniquet, suture a wound, and even intubate…a dummy of course. I assisted in exciting trauma simulations: running Code Blues, performing CPR, and even drilling a hole to start an intraosseous IV.

My time at the M.O.O.N Program was incredibly eye-opening. I had the unique privilege of seeing things that you don’t see in high school. I shadowed 7 different physicians ranging from a breast cancer oncologist to a thoracic surgeon. One of my many favorite parts of this program was being able to sit in on surgeries. What teenager gets to go into the OR…let alone 3 times? On the fourth day of the M.O.O.N Program, I was scheduled to shadow an urogynecology surgeon. It was honestly one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Stepping foot into the operating room is intimidating. Gowns and masks. Beeping noises. “Don’t go past this line” and “Don’t touch anything”. As overwhelming as that was, the surgeon was so welcoming. She played music while she operated and made sure to answer any questions that I had either about her career or about the operation being performed. However, I wasn’t just a bystander. She asked me to let her know when I could see urine fill the bladder on the cystoscope camera before moving on to the next sequence of the procedure.

Being in that OR was inspiring and motivating. It was clear how much the surgeon loved what she was doing. As a matter of fact, I was constantly surrounded by people who were passionate about their fields. I want that. I want to love my career and be just as committed. The M.O.O.N Program exposed me to multiple areas of medicine, and I appreciated the Network aspect of the Program; not only in all the wonderful doctors I had the ability to meet, but also in the like-minded students interested in the same path as me. I now have a jump start on my journey to becoming a physician. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that the
M.O.O.N Program has given me”.