Youth Career Exploration in Health Professions
Please note - Programs may be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.
Valley Health offers a wide variety of education focused on career exploration in the health professions. You may already know about doctors and nurses, but what other careers might be of interest to you? To get started, check out this fast-paced video “FIND YOUR PATH: Health and Medical Science Careers.” Then read on to identify the Valley Health System educational opportunity that’s right for you!
Health Sciences Academy (for grades 10 - 12)
Come Explore the Health Professions
This event offers hands-on activities and the opportunity to speak with Valley Health professionals and regional colleges & universities. What do healthcare professionals do? Why do people choose careers such as nursing or pharmacy? In what areas can healthcare professionals practice?
Students at high schools in Winchester and the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Page are invited to apply, with slots available per school depending on the size of the student body. All applications are handled by the guidance councilor departments at each high school.
Here are just a few examples of hands-on activities:
- Explore cadaver lab
- Apply hand washing to get rid of germs
- Give an injection
- Start an IV
- Cast a finger
- Listen to heart and lung sounds
- Take blood pressures
- Read an X-ray
Medical Careers Exploration (for children in middle school)
Several Valley Health facilities offer summer youth day camps, some for middle school and some for high school age youth. The purpose of the day camps is to explore a variety of health professions and introduce regional youth to the healthcare environment.
Medical Careers Exploration (for high school students)
High school students are actively making decisions about future careers and selecting vocational or academic programs of study. In some cases, a student is interested in a health career, but needs additional information about specific health professions. Educational opportunities for observation experiences as well as participation in healthcare programs in the healthcare setting can be arranged with advance notice and when students meet all of the requirements to safely enter the healthcare environment.
Safe Sitter® program
The mission of a Safe Sitter® program is to prepare young adolescents for the profound responsibilities of nurturing and protecting children. Both boys and girls age 11 to 13 can attend this medically accurate program that teaches them how to handle emergencies when caring for younger children. During the course, students will practice basic lifesaving techniques through the American Heart Association’s Family & Friends Anytime CPR so they are prepared to act in a crisis. Students also receive helpful tips to make them more confident caregivers. They learn safety precautions, how to understand children of different ages, and even the business of babysitting.
To successfully complete the program, students must pass a rigorous practical and written test to show that they have mastered the key concepts and have the skills necessary to handle an emergency. The cost is $50 for a one-day class and $75 for a two-day class; classes are scheduled at various times and hospitals throughout the year.
Safe Sitter® Coordinator Tracey Ramey can be reached at 540-636-0318.