Students provide aid during professor’s medical emergency

After a scary in-class incident, students required to think on their feet and act fast

Colin Mullaney / Asst. News Editor / The USD Vista

When students arrived in “The Dawn of Cinema” class on Monday, Feb. 28, they had more in store than what they bargained for. Initially, it seemed that the class would be straightforward, if not relaxing: Dr. Joseph McGowan told them that he was not feeling especially well, and they would be watching a course-related movie for the majority of the class’ duration. At first, he made light of the situation, to put them at ease.

“Maybe I walked up the hill too fast” and, “it was warmer today than I thought,” McGowan told the class, before taking a seat for the movie. 

However, as the film progressed, so did Dr. McGowan’s agitation. One student noted that he appeared sweaty, disoriented, and not entirely present. When their professor uttered something about class being canceled for the day because he was “feeling kind of lightheaded,” it became clear that the students needed to act. 

Instead of leaving for the day or dismissing his distress, students inquired about his well-being, asking him if everything was “ok.” They did not get a response, however, because shortly thereafter, Dr. McGowan passed out.

“Things escalated, and he fainted. Many members of the class ran to his side, as he started to turn very pale,” USD sophomore Maddie Holt recalled.

When their professor collapsed, students attended to him and continued to provide care on the floor, while calling and waiting for Public Safety to arrive. 

“We immediately called Public Safety multiple times and went across the hall to ask another professor for help. The entire class was very panicked as none of us knew what to do, since our professor was lying on the ground unconscious,” Holt explained.

They continued to check for his state of consciousness, but he seemed increasingly unable to respond: drifting in and out. One student asked Dr. McGowan to provide his own name, or the number of fingers held up, as an indication of lucidity. USD sophomore Tyler Ratkovich recounted the fear that his professor might go into cardiac arrest. 

“It was like I could see his heart beating through his shirt, and I knew things were serious,” Ratkovich stated.

Barely able to open his eyes, DrMcGowan seemed to be slipping away. Students began to monitor his vital signs, checking for his pulse and breathing. One student who took charge in the situation could not detect a pulse, and began to start chest compressions on the professor, until another student with CPR certification could take over. In the midst of the chaos, Dr. McGowan revived enough to indicate that he did not need CPR presently, at which point the class continued to wait with him and keep him alert. One student offered him their water and a Snapple, in case he was suffering from a crash in blood sugar.

Roughly seven minutes later, Public Safety arrived and asked the students to clear the space, to allow them to take over, and the students obeyed. Outside the KIPJ, an ambulance arrived, and the students left, hoping for the best for their instructor. Holt recalled her feelings of powerlessness to help any further. 

“Other students and I were in shock and honestly we were just scared speechless, as we had never seen such a thing happen, and we had no idea what to do to help him [at that point],” Holt stated.

Luckily, the following morning, Dr. McGowan sent an email to the class, indicating that he was alright and on the mend. He thanked them for their attentiveness and thanked them yet again, upon returning to class later that week.  

Unpredictable and upsetting, medical incidents are never a fully remote possibility. Emergency vehicles on campus are always an unwelcome sight, but not entirely rare. In times of world unrest and high personal stress, it is all the more important to attune to one’s physical needs and listen to the body’s signals. According to the New York Times, statistics show that heart-related medical emergencies are most likely to occur on Monday mornings, like Feb. 28, due to a coalescence of variables including but not limited to higher cortisol levels, from the stress of a new work week.

In such an emergency, it is imperative to contact the proper medical authorities, 911, and USD Public Safety, at (619)-260-2222. When reporting medical emergencies, Public Safety advises students to, “remain calm, identify yourself and location to the dispatcher, report any and all details of the incident, and stay on the telephone until the dispatcher tells you it’s okay to hang up.” 

While one witness reports the incident, Public Safety tells others to, “help the victim to a comfortable position, give resuscitation or CPR as necessary, keep [the] victim comfortable, not hot or cold, ask or look for emergency medical I.D, and place the victim on their side if unconscious.”

This was a scary situation for all, but students’ quick thinking created a positive outcome.