Every Wednesday morning, a group of students walk into the school wearing scrubs, without their backpack, and they leave on a bus at 8 o’ clock. It turns out that many underclassmen don’t know what that is about, and aren’t aware of this opportunity that they will have their senior year.
Mrs. Solomon doesn’t just teach Anatomy and Physiology. She also teaches a class called Medical Careers, where students learn the skills needed to succeed in medical professions after high school and college. Not only do they learn in a regular classroom setting, but once a week they attend a real shift at Geisinger Medical Center.
This hands-on experience is very helpful whether a student has fully decided their future, or is on the fence about a healthcare career.
So with the school year winding down, it’s a good time to ask what the Med Careers students thought of their time at Geisinger.
Abigail Ruiz: Anesthesiology
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “Well, I rotate every three weeks so I’m not in a specific unit. But recently I was in the PACU which is the Pre and Post Anesthesia Care Unit for adults where nurses prepare patients to go through surgery, and also help them in the recovery process after surgery.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was a bit nervous to start at Geisinger, I was completely lost because it’s such a huge hospital, and I wasn’t sure where I would be starting first as I am an anesthesia rotation co-op student. I found my way and I was put with a PCT (Patient Care Technician) and I just learned from there on what to do and what not to do. It was kind of a slow start and I didn’t really enjoy the floor I was working on.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “Some of the skills in class I used when working were taking vital signs and helping put a new gown on. I also learned to put PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) on for isolation rooms. I haven’t used a majority of the skills yet, but I am sure I will in different units.
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “A typical Wednesday can be all sorts of things. I can either be rotating into a new unit or be in the same unit as I was last week. I usually go ask a charge nurse who I can work with today, and I follow a nurse and help with caring for patients. I typically try to finish as many GOALS as possible when there is downtime.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “A crazy, eye-opening experience was when I was stationed in the OR (Operating Room) and I got to see two to three surgeries per week. The most memorable was going into a neurosurgery and talking with the neurosurgeon about the procedure. It was so cool because at one point in my life I wanted to be a neurosurgeon, and seeing such a difficult surgery right in front of my eyes was insane to me. I just loved the OR and I would recommend co-op students to try to ask to see a surgery. Especially how they prepare the room and clean up afterwards.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I would rate my experience a 10/10 because it is so interesting to see different parts of the hospital and how they operate. I love my rotation experience because I get to go to different floors and see all kinds of new things. It helps me figure out what I would like to do when I’m older and if I would actually like to be in the medical field, which now I know I definitely want to work in.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “My advice is to just go for it and apply. You will miss out on a lot if you do not take this course. It’s better to see if you really like the medical field first before you make a decision. It’s a great learning experience and you meet all kinds of people throughout your time there. It’s also great to have on your college applications because you have knowledge of how a hospital is operated.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger? The most rewarding?
A: “The most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger is probably keeping up with GOALS. It’s a lot of little quizzes you have to do, and I wasn’t able to get some of mine done and I had to take a day to finish them all. They are pretty time consuming but you learn a lot from them.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: The most rewarding part of working at Geisinger is being able to experience many things in the hospital. There is always something new each time I go. Being in different places, meeting new people, and helping out is fun especially when you get to do something you haven’t done before.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: “I chose Med Careers because I want to be an anesthesiologist when I am older. I’ve always wanted to be working in the medical field since I was younger, and being able to work in Geisinger is a great experience. Like I said, you learn tons!”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “I have a cool story in which I had to translate in Spanish, since I am a native speaker, because the nursing assistant I was with couldn’t understand the patient. I was able to help them be more comfortable. Learning another language is especially great when in the medical field!”
Elizabeth Wanner: Cardiothoracic Surgery
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I am in cardiothoracic surgery. It is an out-patient clinic and we see patients pre and post-op. They take care of after surgery wounds and visits leading up to surgery appointments.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was actually not that nervous to start there, I was just excited because I knew it was something that I really wanted to do. When I got there my first day I was really just thrown in, they let me do pretty much whatever I was comfortable with doing.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “I have used manual blood pressure, and pretty much all of the vital signs. I have also utilized weight and height.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “First, I would clock in. Then, I find out who I am working with for the day. Usually, I take vital signs and if I am lucky they will let me watch some procedures and do more hands-on work with different things.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “One eye-opening experience I had was when a patient came in that had a wound-vac, which is basically a machine that sucks the infection out of an open and very deep wound. The patient came in and had a softball sized open wound in their chest that was very deep and still bleeding. You could clearly see that there was an infection and that the wound was slowly healing. Overall, it was very neat to watch the whole process of how they take off and change the wound-vac while staying as sterile and clean as possible.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I would rate my experience a 100/10. I have been learning so much and I like that I do not have to do the dirty work.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “I would recommend Med Careers to someone that is interested in working in the medical field. I would say, if you are on the fence, definitely take a lot of time to think about it because some situations could definitely be a lot for someone to handle if it is not really your thing.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger?
A: “The most challenging aspect of my job so far is really just learning how to communicate all of my questions and talk to the MAs (Medical Assistants) when I do not know something. I would say to make sure you ask a lot of questions because I struggled with that at first and I wouldn’t understand some things that they would explain to me.”
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: “The most rewarding part of my job is when people ask me about my future plans and really just seem like they genuinely care. I have had so many people just tell me to have a good day or just good luck overall with my future plans. It is really neat to just have those personal connections with the patients. It is especially rewarding when the patients come for a follow up and they remember who I am. It makes me feel like maybe I did really have a little bit of an impact on them.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: “I chose Med Careers because I had previously heard about it from other students that did it in previous years. I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical field and I thought that this would be a good way to get some hands-on experience and learn more beyond the classroom.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “I would just like to share the emotional aspect of working pretty much one on one with patients. They tell me stories about their past and ask me questions about my future. Overall, I just like being able to have very good and interesting conversations with people and make a connection with them even if I would never cross paths with them again. It is interesting to see where people are coming from and how it has shaped them. I feel like in some ways it has changed my perspective on certain topics and the way you would view certain people, such as a person coming from jail.”
Mylie Herr: Dentistry
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I am in the dental clinic at Geisinger Main Hospital in Danville. In this unit they treat kids of all ages and special needs adults, providing them with the usual hygiene checkup around every six months or so. They also perform surgeries and will use anesthesia right in the chair. My job as of right now is to clean each room in between patients and take the used tools into the biohazard room where they will be taken down to Central Sterile and be sterilized to be used again.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was nervous at first because this is my first actual job. I wasn’t super nervous though, because I had Kenna with me and we were going through it together. It was a slow start and we did not do much at first.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “Taking gloves on and off, I have used a blood pressure cuff before, but other than that, not really. In class we learn a lot of bed side skills and that is not necessary in the dental clinic.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “Kenna and I will go to our supervisor’s office and ask her what she would like us to do. Some days she will send us to help hygiene and clean rooms between patients and fetch tools for the hygienists. Other days, she may have an assignment for us which is oftentimes packing goodie bags for patients which consist of a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. Occasionally we will run to get carts of tools from across the hospital, but that’s pretty much it.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “Nothing crazy, but cool. I don’t think many people know that there is more than just cavities or fluoride in the Geisinger dental clinic. They have a pathologist that comes in and I was able to assist him in a biopsy of the tongue when there was a concern of cancer. Very eye-opening for me as I was one of those people that thought there was just cavities and fluoride.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I rate my experience a 7 because everyone there is very nice and very educated on healthcare jobs in general. It also made me realize that I do not want to be a dentist, which I originally did. I still learn a lot about medicine though. I think being in a unit with the in-patient nurses would be very interesting, as they get hands-on experience with the patients.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “I would definitely recommend it, even if you can’t get into the unit that you want. I wanted to be in the dental clinic and I was fortunate enough to land a spot there. Even after deciding I did not want to be a dentist anymore, I still have learned a lot about general healthcare and hospitals, which is necessary for any health care jobs. Even if you don’t want to work as a nurse or doctor, there’s many careers within a hospital that you can learn about while working there, like technicians or other behind the scenes people.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger?
A: “Probably getting all of Wednesday’s school work completed by Thursday. It has forced me to change my homework habits, which has been a good thing and it wasn’t hard to adapt to.”
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: “Learning before college that I did not want to go to school and become a dentist. Everyone at Geisinger has been very helpful in guiding me towards a career that I will enjoy, and I know that that will be very rewarding when I am in college.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: “I was positive that I wanted to work in healthcare and I found Med Careers essential for learning more about medicine and this experience would look great to colleges as well.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “Med Careers is beneficial, even if you aren’t in the unit you want to be in at Geisinger. It has helped me change my mind about what I wanted to go to college for and saved me years of schooling that I would come to regret. If someone wants to be in healthcare, even the dental clinic could prepare you.”
Sophia Snyder: Family Medicine
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I work in Family Medicine and my unit is pretty much providing care to patients from infants to elderly and I see all kinds of patients and I get them ready to see the doctor by taking their vitals and getting a general idea as to why the patient is there to see the doctor that day.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “At first I was very nervous to start at Geisinger because I was going to be in a new setting with new people, but I think I was thrown right into learning how to do everything but also the nurses I work with were extremely patient and helpful.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “Yes, taking a pulse manually is a skill I’ve had to use while working because sometimes the machines don’t read correctly.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “A typical Wednesday for me at Geisinger is usually having many different patients a day and I take them back and get them ready to see the doctor and take vitals. I also usually restock and clean rooms many times a day.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “One cool thing I got to watch was a doctor cutting open a patient’s infected Dexcom site which I just thought was cool.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I would definitely rate my experience at Geisinger a 10 and I love my unit that I’m in because I feel like I see a little bit of everything.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “I most definitely would recommend doing Med Careers to anyone who is either interested in the medical field or even on the fence, just because it exposes you to a lot and you can definitely determine whether or not it’s the right career for you.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “It’s a very cool experience and definitely gives you some type of knowledge of nursing before going into medical school.”
Emily George and Lillian McCulloch: In-patient Nursing
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: (McCulloch) “I am on a Med-Surge floor. If you know what a nurse does, that is kind of what we do. However, we cannot give medication or do the fancy stuff. We provide patient care and support!”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: (George) “Yes, I would definitely recommend Med Careers to those who are interested or on the fence because it truly is the best hands-on experience you can have to determine if you enjoy it or not.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: (McCulloch) “Yes because I didn’t know anyone and didn’t know the hospital very well.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger?
A: (George) “The most challenging part of working at Geisinger has been dealing with boring days and also feeling comfortable with the people you’re working with, but once you get used to it it gets a lot easier.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: (McCulloch) “Yes! I have given baths a lot and used various skills in that regard too.”
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: (George) “The most rewarding part is really feeling like you are important and making people’s day while they are having some of their worst days.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: (McCulloch) “I arrive at nine and clock in. Then I pick who I want to work with that day. Then I just follow that person around and whatever they do, I do. I usually have lunch around 11:30 and leave at two.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: (George) “I was kind of on the fence about the health field, but Anatomy last year made me realize I enjoyed it a lot and now Med Careers has taught me how much I love this opportunity.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: (McCulloch) “I saw a lot of crazy things that showed how real working in a hospital gets, but it made me realize how much I want to work in this type of setting.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: (George) “You see a lot while you are in the hospital because it really is a tough job, so you have to treat it like it and try and get the most out of each day.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: (McCulloch) “10/10! I love my unit and the people that work on it. I felt very welcome from the first time I walked in.”
Emily Hamm: Ophthalmology
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I am in the Ophthalmology department which is basically the eye doctor. It’s a lot more of a cooler experience than just an eye doctor visit. I see a lot more than what you’d expect.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was really nervous. The ladies I work with were really nice to me though and helped me ease into it. I accidentally hit the security button on my badge on the first day so that made everything feel a lot more nerve wracking but they were nice about it and helped me laugh it off.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “Most Wednesdays I help in the injection room. I also help stock the cart and set it up for the doctor’s next injection.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “The coolest thing I’ve seen were the injections. It sounds really gross talking about a shot into the eye, but it really isn’t that bad and it’s actually pretty cool to watch.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I rate my experience a 9/10. The only reason it lost a point is because making up Wednesday’s work is annoying sometimes. I wish I was in the radiology department because I’m majoring in medical imaging in college next year, but at the same time I’m really glad I got to meet all the people and see all the things in the Ophthalmology department.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “I would recommend Med Careers to people interested in the medical field. I think it would be silly not to do it. It’s a great experience and a lot of fun.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “Mrs. Solomon helps make the experience feel a lot easier and she doesn’t overwhelm you. She’s the reason I like it so much. She never overwhelms you with work, especially on Wednesdays and that really helps us. She makes her room a safe environment to talk about the way we feel about our experience at Geisinger and helps us figure things out.”
Lea Beishline: Out-patient Nursing
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I am in an out-patient unit placed in Loyalsock.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was honestly very nervous to start working at Geisinger. I did not know much about medicine at the time, and did not want to embarrass myself. When I started my first day, I was thrown right into helping take vitals and room patients. However, within the first month, I got the hang of it.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “There have not been any skills that I learned in class besides learning how to take vitals. As I am not in the real hospital, I do not do the typical routine nursing jobs that my peers complete.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “I get to sleep in, which is great, since I do not start my shift until 9 a.m! I usually arrive around 8:45 and clock in, and then get the materials that I will need to use ready. I will then wait for patients to come in so I can room and take their vitals. When there are no patients in the clinic, I will just talk to my co-workers and do some homework until my shift ends at 2:30.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “During one of my shifts, an Amish woman came in with four of her family members. She was pretty old, overweight, and pale, so we took her back pretty quickly. I tried to take her blood pressure on her arm, but she refused as it “hurt too badly.” I then attempted to take it on her forearm, which she winced at as well. This reaction did not really make sense to me at the time, as she came in complaining of leg or foot pain I believe. I then left the room to allow the doctor to see her. About five minutes later, the doctor yelled from the room to call 911, as she was having a stroke, or seizure, or something along those lines. It was pretty scary to see a woman whom I was just talking to being dragged out of the clinic in such a hurry. I am not sure if she is okay or not, but it was a pretty eye-opening experience, as you never know what could happen to you in a day.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “My experience at Geisinger has been interesting for sure. I did not want to be in a nursing station, as when I first signed up, I was on the path of working in the Laboratory at the hospital, which is where my career interests align. However, something went wrong in the review process of my application, and I did not end up going to the space I wanted. I was honestly really upset at first, as I have no interest in nursing. However, I am grateful as the experiences that I work in are definitely important, and skills that I think any person in any field should experience.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “Absolutely! I think that the skills I have learned, alongside the social skills in this type of setting, are super important for anyone looking into the medical field.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger?
A: “The most challenging feeling is wanting more out of my job. I know a few of my friends get to see many more crazy situations than I do, such as surgeries and fast-paced situations. However, I am still grateful, as I feel I get to be more hands-on.”
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: “The most rewarding part of my job is getting to know that this is just the start for me, and I will hopefully be less nervous when having to do clinical rotations in the future.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: “I am interested in the medical field, and I thought it would give me some good experience.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “I encourage anyone remotely interested to give it a try!”
Kayleigh Sheleman: Women’s Health
Q: What unit are you in, and how could you explain what you do there to someone who isn’t familiar with the medical field?
A: “I am placed in the Women’s Health department at Muncy where they see pregnant patients, women having annual exams, and any women with concerns regarding their female health.”
Q: Were you nervous to start at Geisinger? Was it a slow start or were you just thrown right in?
A: “I was pretty nervous to start at Geisinger because working in a hospital with all new people can be very stressful, but it was a pretty slow start and I did a lot of computer and in person training before I was thrown into patient interactions.”
Q: Have there been any skills you learned in class that you’ve used in real time in the hospital?
A: “Yes, when I am at Geisinger I manually take each patient’s blood pressure when I room them, which was a skill that we learned in class.”
Q: What does a typical Wednesday at Geisinger look like for you?
A: “Typically myself and the nurse that I am working with follow the providers’ schedules, whether they are a PA (Physician’s Assistant) or a doctor, and room their patients, complete their chart questions, and record their weight and BP (blood pressure). If there are any procedures I am also able to watch and even assist with them in some capacity.”
Q: Do you have any crazy, eye-opening experiences of yours that you would like to share?
A: “I haven’t had any super crazy experiences, but working in Women’s Health specifically I have definitely seen some really interesting things.”
Q: What would you rate your experience at Geisinger so far? Would you rather you were in a different unit? If so, which one?
A: “I honestly have loved my Geisinger experience so far and the people I work with are really nice and supportive. However, I do hope to pursue a career in Physical Therapy so it would have been really exciting if I was placed in that department instead.”
Q: Would you recommend Med Careers for people who are interested in the medical field and/or on the fence?
A: “I would definitely recommend Med Careers to students that are interested. I have learned so much about interacting with patients and what it is like to work a professional job in a hospital setting as well.”
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect of working at Geisinger?
A: “The most challenging has probably been handling the work load of missing one day of school each week, but it’s still very manageable.”
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
A: The most rewarding has been being able to apply the skills I have learned in class in real life.”
Q: Why did you choose Med Careers?
A: “I chose Med Careers because I know I want to work in the medical field and knew this would be a great opportunity to gain experience working in a real hospital environment with patients.”
Q: What else would you like to share about this experience for you so far?
A: “The application process can be pretty stressful and there are a lot of things that you have to do to get into the program, but it is all so worth it in the long run!”
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