PENN-TRAFFORD’S first-ever medical career day in the media center, hosted on Feb. 2, contained 12 different stations, with multiple medical professions, hospitals and schools represented. 

     Students were able to receive first-hand medical experience as they attended lectures and lessons from psychiatrists, pharmacists, physicians and even radiologists. 

     Universities including the Duquesne School of Health and Science to the Seton Hill Physician Assistant Program sent practicing nurses to share their professional insight. 

     One Intensive Care Unit nurse from UPMC Magee Women’s Hospital said as they were detailing the daily routine of a career in nursing, “we answered a lot of questions we hadn’t even thought about.” 

     Event organizer senior Kristina Heins modeled the event after last year’s engineering day, which she planned as well. 

     “It helps them get more experience…to get to know more about the field and be able to make better decisions post-secondary,” said Heins.

     Many students, who wish to pursue a career in a medical discipline may lack the opportunities to job shadow or even make contact with someone in the field. The objective of this event was to bring these resources to Penn-Trafford.  

     The all-day event was broken into 40-minute activities, separated by five-minute rotations. Breakfast was provided to all attendees; and after lunch, the stations alternated from individual medical professionals to representatives from local universities. Participants were able to select which stations they would like to attend upon signing up. 

     Guidance Counselor Hunter Owen said, “Some of the most important experiences you can have is just getting some background in the career you want to go into…this is a very valuable opportunity for the students.”