For two weeks during the summer, two students selected for the Pre-Health Professions Co-Op learn what doctors, surgeons, residents and fellows go through and see on a day-to-day basis in the hospital. They follow different doctors and caregivers through different rotations for a truly immersive learning experience.

Organized by Roberta Meyers ’78, M.D., students learn from and make connections with ¶À¼ÒºÚÁÏ alumni and staff across disciplines at HCMC.

“We pair the students up with the alumni and they shadow whatever the faculty person is doing that day – they shadow people making medical rounds, working in various clinics, they come to the nursing home, administration, the operating room and the emergency department,” Meyers said.

The ten 10-hour days shadowing at the hospital are meant to be an intense and eye-opening experience for the students.

“At HCMC, you see patients coming from all different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds,” said Peter Bueide ’19, a recent shadowing participant. “The doctors here have to take all of that into consideration for each patient’s care.”

As a Level I trauma center, HCMC acts as a safety net for people in the region that might not be able to receive care at another medical facility.

“This hospital has a deep sense of purpose. Rich or poor, patients from every county and community will receive care here,” said Megan Walsh, M.D., the hospital’s chief academic officer.

As a junior, Bueide appreciated the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of situations and disciplines within the healthcare field.

“This opportunity helps me to decide whether or not healthcare is something I want to do or figure out which discipline is most interesting to me,” he said. “I’m also gaining experience and in-hospital hours that are very necessary when applying for med school.”

Watch the video:

^{Published May 2018}