Northwestern Emergency Medical Organization makes medical training possible for students with an annual class that certifies NU students as emergency medical technicians, among other on-campus opportunities.
The class, which spans two quarters, meets once on Zoom and once in person per week, according to Weinberg junior and co-President Nathan Miller.
The club works with Medical Express Ambulance Service, a private ambulance company that operates in Chicago, who provide the overall instruction for the course.
Miller said graduates of the class are able to work as certified medical employees in various fields.
“It’s a really cool opportunity for students who are interested in getting a hands-on medical experience to have that first foray into medicine where they’re able to not just see what’s going on in medicine, but have an active role as a practicing medical provider,” Miller said.
In the club’s seventh year on campus, Miller said one of its goals is to make EMT certification as affordable as possible.
Weinberg junior and co-President Dylan Stone said a traditional EMT certification course can run up to $2,000. However, he said NEMO aims to be barrier-free for students.
NEMO’s course costs students $600, with eligible students able to completely cover the cost of the course using the Student Activities Assistance Fund. The course is also expanding from a class of 65 to 85 students.
“We are probably the cheapest EMT class out there,” Stone said. “So I’d say that’s been our biggest accomplishment thus far.”
Outside of the annual class, Stone said he also hopes to offer general student training in Narcan administration and CPR.
In the 2024-25 school year, Stone said he trained all of the Interfraternity Council fraternities’ new member classes as well as several Panhellenic Association sororities using free Narcan provided by the state.
“This year, I’m going to be doing that again, and I am determined to get all of them,” Stone said.
Stone plans to expand the program to club sports and athletics. He said his goal is to have 1,000 students trained by the end of the current academic year.
McCormick sophomore Victoria Sefen, NEMO’s external affairs secretary, said she works on getting club members opportunities with outside organizations.
Sefen said the external affairs executive members are currently working on having NEMO members shadow staff at the hospital. She, along with most club members, also works as a mentor for the certification class.
“I really enjoy being able to teach the students different EMT skills and being able to see their skills grow and develop,” Sefen said.
Miller said his favorite part of the course is when the club stages a mass casualty incident simulation.
Behind Evanston’s Hilton Garden Inn, NEMO stages a mass car accident, with SFX makeup on the “injured” students. The mentors help train students in a situation that is “as real-life and stressful as possible,” according to Miller.
“It’s the first time that the students get to really feel like they’re in a true emergency,” Miller said. “It’s super fun for the mentors, getting all dressed up, everyone has different injuries that they act like they have.”
Afterward, Miller said they debrief with students to ensure that they had a good learning experience and had fun at the event.
On campus, Stone said the club has collaborated with other organizations, such as NU Dance Marathon, and hopes to help out at more campus events.
“We’re really trying to grow our presence on campus from just our class, to a body on the Northwestern campus whose goal is to educate people on emergency medicine,” Stone said.
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