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As basketball and March Madness settles down, a different kind of madness came to the campus of Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) Thursday.

Medical Madness, offering interested students and others an opportunity to connect with the school’s program and community partners, was showcased from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

“This is our open house and we’re highlighting all of our allied health programs,” said BCTC Winchester Campus Director Bruce Manley. “We’re also bringing in our community partners so that you can link up the training that you get with a career. We want students to come in talk to some of our programs, and learn about what you can do to get a career in the medical field.”

BCTC, which now offers dual-learning classes with George Rogers Clark High School, offers programs creating opportunities to learn about pharmacy tech, orthotics and prosthetics, surgery tech, medical information tech, health science tech, sonography, fire science, and more.

They were well-represented.

At the event were professionals working with EMS, dental hygiene, nursing, respiratory care, biotech programs and more.

Audrey Law,  the Biotechnology Program Coordinator for BCTC, talked about its program.

“It’s the only two-year program [with an] Associates Degree offered in Kentucky,” she said. “Biotech is an umbrella term that covers pharmaceutical, biomedical sciences, diagnostic laboratory work, genetic engineering, bio manufacturing anywhere there’s a lab, these skills are very useful.”

Along with professionals being in person, there were opportunities for attendees to engage and obtain hands-on learning.

Those wanting to learn about respiratory care could observe what happens to the body during CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

By using high-fidelity mannequins to simulate what much of the body can do, the nursing program also sought to provide more in-depth information.

“You can listen and get pulses almost just like a real person,” said Susan Hedgecock, the Nursing Coordinator for BCTC – Winchester. “It’s a real asset to our program.”

While BCTC’s programs were present for potential students and others to discuss, partnering organizations also appeared.

These organizations included Northeast AHEC, CHI Saint Joseph Health, St. Claire HealthCare, and Clark Regional Medical Center.

“A lot of students at BCTC come to the hospital for different clinical rotations or jobs while they’re in school,” said CRMC recruiter Madison Osborne. “I think some people don’t realize how many types of jobs there are at the hospital, everything from an office position all the way up to a physician.”

Kasaundra Withrow, a junior at George Rogers Clark High School interested in nursing, was one of many students that sought to learn more.

“I’m not really sure what I’m going to do yet, but I’m thinking about going into the medical pathway,” Withrow said. “I like hearing the experiences of people who have gone through this and summer programs.”

With BCTC having several programs and a strong following gained in the last year, opportunities are prevalent.

“No matter what your background is or where you came from, we’re here to help and support you and get you the education you need,” Manley said.