High school students in Andover had the chance to receive first-hand experience working in the medical field, thanks to a partnership with Ascension Via Christi.
Thursday was the last day of shadowing for students participating in the Center for Advanced Professional Studies program.
This semester, they’ve been shadowing doctors and nurses at St. Francis to see if the medical field is the right fit for them. Not only is it beneficial for students, but Ascension hopes the program will generate interest in healthcare and help Kansas’ shortage of medical professionals.
“These students are great candidates for working with us when they graduate high school, so they can come into a position such as patient care tech, for example, and then from that point, they can work while they’re in college,” said Brittni Mayagoitia, the workforce development manager at Ascension Via Christi. “They can still continue gaining those professional skills, and then hopefully, the ultimate goal is that we can allow them to use our tuition benefits for example, and then they can transition into their dream career with us at Ascension Via Christi.”
Senior high school students in Andover, Corban Marshall and Katelyn Kice, said the experience was invaluable.
“I love going to the hospital, getting to see all the different parts of the hospital. I love the OR, getting to shadow some surgeries,” said Marshall.
“It’s been awesome. I’ve gotten to see a lot, kind of gave me some experience on how to deal with, like, patients,” Kice said.
Bryan Curtis, a nurse at St. Francis, recognizes he didn’t get opportunities like this when he was in high school.
“High school, already coming and somewhat knowing what you wanna do, and getting the experience of seeing the floor and how it’s run and everything,” Curtis said.
Both Kice and Marshall already know what they want to do.
“I want to go into orthopedic surgery,” said Marshall.
“I originally wanted to do radiology, but since I’ve been shadowing I’ve kinda, like, shifted more towards nursing,” Kice said.
Their message to other students interested in the medical field is to just go for it.
“Definitely should do it. I think one of my favorite high school memories has been this CAPS program. I think it’s just a great opportunity for anybody who can,” Marshall said.
See a video of the news story and the original article at KWCH here.
