Polson students enter medicine field early

Attending class got much harder for a dozen Polson High School students who completed a long, extensive interview process at St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson before they were accepted into the hospital’s brand new future-medical-occupations-as-a-career-choice education program they are hosting for Polson High School.

Of the 12 accepted students, nine are seniors. All of the students earned their way in the hospital’s door through a comprehensive application process that involved obtaining letters of recommendation and personal interviews in front of a panel of hospital staff members.

All of the students spend two class periods, or 90 minutes a day, all school-year long at St. Joseph Medical Center while they simultaneously earn high school credits.

All of the students think they might be the future of medicine. 

The ultimate goal of the program is to expose students interested in a medical future to as many aspects of the hospital setting as possible, Shelly Quinn, St. Joseph Medical Center executive assistant and the program’s student coordinator said.

Students who began the year thinking they want to be surgeons might find an area of medicine they like more, or, they might find their vision of a particular medical career is less attractive after understanding the costs and commitment associated with their original mission.

Hospital staff is deeply committed to inspiring students’ passion for the field.

PHS Senior Sutton Kanta, 17, is interested in pursuing a future as an endocrinologist. 

Kanta said his desire to become a medical professional was born from his experience at seven years old when Kanta was diagnosed with insulin-dependent juvenile diabetes.

“Visiting the endocrinologist helped me understand my disease,” Kanta said.

Though adapting to a lifestyle mandatory for a juvenile diabetic was difficult, having that doctor made his life easier, he said.

Now regulated on an insulin pump, Kanta said he wants to be there for patients who struggle with diabetes in the future.

Kanta said his curiosity for how glands like the pancreas is driving his interest.

But reaching his final goal has challenged him already.

Normally, a quiet young man, Kanta said he was intimidated by the interview process involved in the high school to medical professional program. But, he said, he overcame that challenge, was accepted into the program and is ready for more.

Senior Lydia Dupuis said she wanted to be part of the medical program because it would be a great way to jump in and get hands-on experience in the medical field. Dupuis wanted to see what potential occupational options she might have for the future.

Though Dupuis said she is thinking about attending Montana State University next fall to pursue her medical dreams, she’s not sure.

And choosing a medical profession she likes most is difficult as well, she said.

“We’ve heard a lot of speakers and everything they have to say just grabs me and pulls me in different directions,” she said.

There isn’t anything Dupuis isn’t fascinated by.

One thing, Dupuis said that was interesting to her was the stories medical professionals shared about their experiences.

During the remainder of the school year, students will be able witness surgery, watch angiograms, interact with radiology technology and observe all areas of the hospital’s work flow.

So far, several students are interested in emergency room care, Quinn said. But there are students interested in mental health, administration and other areas of study.

Polson High School Teacher Tammy Kelley accompanies students to the hospital daily. It is her job to oversee their progress since they are all part of a high school health occupations class that Kelley teaches.

For the first several months of class, students heard guest speakers representing many areas of medicine, Quinn said.

They learned about handling themselves in the hospital, approaching patients with the utmost respect and how to handle the many privacy obligations they must meet while interacting with the public. 

Students will start hands-on rotations throughout the hospital on Oct. 26.

During their clinic experience, students will undergo rotations throughout a variety of departments. One student will be with a floor staff for each two-week rotation. By year’s end students will experience the emergency room, diagnostic imaging, surgery, laboratory, a Medical-Surgical floor where patients recover, physical therapy, the orthopedic clinic, patient registration, assisted living and more.

Quinn said that depending on circumstances surrounding patient approval, staff approval, parent approval and timing, students will be able to watch surgeries, angiograms and other diagnostic and life-saving situations.

“We are trying to come up with project to work with the school systems,” Quinn said.

St. Joseph’s Medical Center hopes to continue this program into the future as the medical field develops.

Ben Murray, Director of Clinical Operations told students that by the time these students completed medical school, the medical field will have increased 30 percent,

And the future of medicine is wide open to the bright minds of Polson.