Program at St. Mary's Teaches Youth about Medicine

By Edmund Moy

St. Mary's Medical Center and Mercy High School have partnered to develop a new program, "Women in Medicine."

The first group of participants in the pilot program are freshmen who excel in math and science and have shown an interest in the health care field.

"Since Mercy High School and St. Mary's Medical Center are both organizations that were founded by the Sisters of Mercy, it seemed like a natural partnership," says Sister Mary Kilgariff, community health liaison for St. Mary's.

"Mercy High has historically offered its students exceptional science and math curriculum and launching the 'Women in Medicine' initiative seemed to be the next logical step in an effort to provide unique educational opportunities for the young women who choose to attend Mercy," Kilgariff said.

The program began last September when 15 students began visiting St. Mary's twice a month. On their trips to the medical center, the students visit different departments, work with medical professionals, meet with health care providers, participate in hospital tours and group discussions, and learn about various technological medical advancements.

"The experiences that stood out for me the most was the acute rehab center, seeing the monitor that shows your veins and arteries, and meeting the hospital's robot Max," recalls 14-year-old student Maria Sarkisian, who moved to the United States from Armenia with her parents when she was five-months old.

The idea for the program originated with Mercy's principal, Dorothy McCrea. When she brought the concept to the staff at St. Mary's, the response was an enthusiastic yes to collaborating on the program.

"Ever since I was little I wanted to be a doctor," says 14-year-old student Jenny Montoya. "Now this program is giving me my first step towards that goal."

Developed to educate and potentially attract women to a career in the medical field, the program's mission to provide exposure to the various specialized health care departments and professionals within St. Mary's Medical Center was a perfect fit for 14-year-old student Chika Chuku.

"I really wanted to learn about medicine and follow in my mom's steps because she is a nurse," Chuku said. "I thought this program would jump start me into the field."

Designed as a four-year program for participants, "Women in Medicine" starts freshmen students off by providing them visits and tours. During their sophomore year, they meet with Mercy alumnae who are currently in the health care field. In their junior year, the students begin volunteering at St. Mary's. During their fourth year in the program, seniors continue to volunteer while learning about academic regulations and university requirements for attending the California university system.

Currently, incoming freshmen with demonstrated interest and aptitude in science and math are eligible and encouraged to apply for the program.

The program currently accepts 15 new students per year. Those that get accepted into the program must score above average on standardized tests and high school placement exams. The student must also have excellent academic grades in math and science. Once students are accepted into the program, they continue as participants during their four years at Mercy.

"These are the shining stars," says Marguerite Rodriguez, Mercy High School director of advancement. "I asked some of the girls where they were planning to go to college and they said they were thinking of going to Stanford, Cornell and Harvard."

The "Women in Medicine" program is currently funded through Mercy High School's general operating budget. "We want our students to receive in-depth access and exposure to various health care related professions," says Sister Kilgariff. "We want to prepare our students so that they are highly competitive as they continue their post-secondary educations and pursue careers in the medical field."

In addition to the knowledge and support of St. Mary's staff, the "Women in Medicine" students also receive support from Sister Bernadette Hart, the on-campus program coordinator at Mercy. Although mainly responsible for handling the day-to-day needs of the program, she also provides mentoring and tutoring support for the students.

Another student who has benefited from the program is 15-year-old Aisha Hameed, who moved to the United States from Pakistan with her parents and wants to attend Harvard University.

"We had an amazing experience, observing an operation taking place," Hameed recalled. "The new technology the doctors are equipped with is astonishing."

According to Kilgariff, the plan is to continue to expand the program opportunistically. "The response from students, parents, teachers and the medical professionals at St. Mary's have been extremely positive," Kilgariff said. "Individuals have remarked on how much they enjoy working with the students. St. Mary's staff members have remarked on how much they especially enjoy the Q&A sessions with the student participants."

For more information about the "Women in Medicine" program at St. Mary's, consult with the following Web sites: www.stmarysmedicalcenter.org or www.mercyhs.org.