GRB’s Early College High School Program Gives Students An Up-Close Look At Upstate Hospital

by Contributor | July 15, 2023 6:00 am

FULTON, NY – Students in the Early College High School health sciences program at Fulton’s G. Ray Bodley High School recently got a behind-the-scenes look at Upstate Hospital with a valuable job shadowing experience. The shadowing program, hosted from now through August, gives incoming seniors at least 20 hours of service credit working with doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in a variety of medical fields.

The experience was a recent and welcome opportunity that Sean Broderick, ECHS coordinator, called “unprecedented.” The Early College program regularly works with Oswego Health and Cayuga Community College, but the opportunity for students to learn at a hospital like Upstate was a welcome addition to ECHS offerings this year. After planning and coordinating with several groups throughout the month of June, 18 Fulton students were able to participate in the summer program.

“Upstate is one of the busiest and best hospitals in the country, and they have been nothing but accommodating to us,” said Broderick. “They make sure that the kids are comfortable but also that they’re getting that worthwhile experience, so we’re grateful for that.”

From now through August, the incoming seniors will take on five four-hour days, selecting to learn about different fields that might be of interest to them. Some students – already intent on a specific department – can opt to focus their experience purely on one or two possibilities. This summer, Fulton students have already gotten to work with hospital staff in neurology, oncology, and even the hospital’s emergency room.

“I think it’s been a really great opportunity,” said Grace Kilpatrick, soon to be a senior in the ECHS program. “We’ve been seeing everything from charting, learning how different machines work and really seeing the hands-on patient care of it. We’re learning new things and the hospital staff have been really great at explaining how everything works. We’ve gotten to know all the different aspects of the hospital.”

Grace hopes to pursue a career in pediatric oncology. Her classmate, Alyssa Sawyer, is less sure, but is using the program to learn more about the different opportunities within the medical field. Both were excited to don their scrubs and begin a new day of learning.

“These are kids that are 16, 17 years old and this is their summer vacation, but they’re spending it here,” said Broderick. “It just shows that they value this program and these opportunities so much.”

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/fulton/grbs-early-college-high-school-program-gives-students-an-up-close-look-at-upstate-hospital/

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