“Today was an amazing experience and gave me an insight into more career paths rather than just radiology, which I’m interested in.”
Emily, one of the students pictured above, was among the 15 Domenica Scholars who participated in a health sciences symposium for high school students offered by Virtua Health on October 22. We invited current Domenica Scholars who have expressed an interest in health sciences careers over the years.
A highlight for our students was the opportunity to react with “Hal,” the pediatric patient simulator. Hal has a heartbeat and a pulse. He can react in real time by talking, crying—even having a seizure. Students like Emily got a chance to see what training in various medical fields could be like.
And the fields were varied! The students were introduced to the many departments of Virtua Health, from infection control to behavioral health to maternal and child care and beyond. One goal of the Virtua symposium was to show students that health science is not limited to doctors and nurses.
In his introduction, Virtua President and CEO Dennis Pullin told how his own journey to his current role took many twists and turns. His story emphasized another theme of the day: The healthcare field is full of people who started in one place, are now in another, and may yet find themselves in a different area.
The panel that followed Mr. Pullin’s welcome emphasized both points. Students heard from people with varied roles in Virtua’s facilities:
- The chief operating officer, who is a physician
- The dietician who leads the EatWell program, including Virtua’s mobile grocery store (which the Domenica Foundation supports)
- The assistant vice president of security operations
- The nurse who runs Virtua’s cancer center
- The head informationist, who leads Virtua’s health sciences library
Panelists shared the story of their pathways to Virtua and then fielded questions. “Our scholars had amazing questions!” exclaimed Elena Piperno, Domenica Foundation director, who accompanied the students. “As always, I was impressed with their maturity and poise, and how eager they were to learn.”
After the presentation, students were invited to engage individually with the panelists. Our scholars were particularly drawn to the security professional, a Camden native and a graduate, like our scholars, of Catholic Partnership Schools.
Next, students toured the room to visit the various departments. It looked a lot like a job fair.
Nursing, a popular career option, got its own session. Students also enjoyed a demonstration of emergency medical technician training (where they met Hal) and stepped aboard an ambulance.
At the end of the day, school groups presented their takeaways. Four of our scholars spoke on behalf of the Domenica group. They showed that they had learned the lessons about the breadth of the health sciences and about being open to unexpected career moves. Many expressed interest in volunteering with Virtua and in taking advantage of summer internships and career shadowing opportunities.
“My experience at Virtua was amazing,” said Jennifer, a junior at Camden Catholic. “Seeing the options in nursing and the medical field has inspired me and given me a clearer direction for what I want to pursue.”
“We are so grateful to Virtua for this incredible opportunity for our high school students,” said Elena. “It’s wonderful to bring our community partners together! I am truly looking forward to seeing how our students apply today’s learnings to their academic and professional careers.”