DENVER — High school students at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC) are getting a close-up look at medical careers, learning from therapists and nurses in case study presentation and job-shadow rotations that let teenagers test whether medicine is the right path for them.
A team from HCA HealthONE Spalding Rehabilition Hospital visited the school to walk students through a recent patient case, showing how occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing and case management work together.
“I wish I had something like this when I was in high school,” Makenzie McCain, an occupational therapist and instructor at the school, said. “This is a glimpse of what it could look like in one specific setting that they get to see. I think that’s really valuable that they get experience all of those different realms that they could work in.”
Kayla Hughes, a clinical professional development educator with HCA HealthONE, was one of six medical professionals who talked with the high school students. Each healthcare professional discussed their role and how they helped treat the patient from the case study.
“Being able to get to see all the different healthcare professions and how we walk through a patient's day to day life in the hospital, it’s pretty cool that they get to see that,” Hughes said. “It’s amazing how engaged they are at this young of an age, and how excited they are about the potential in their future, and what they get to do after.”
The program also gives students the chance to shadow at either Centennial Hospital or Spalding Rehabilitation. They can see radiology, therapy and nursing from the emergency room up to the medical surgical floor.
“I hope they continue to grow and learn and want to be in the medical field,” Hughes said. “It is such a special place to be able to take care of patients every day and be there at their hardest moments.”
CCIC serves the entire Cherry Creek School District, giving the students early exposure to careers that often require further education. Students from across the district can apply to more than 20 career pathways across nine programs.
