A rare opportunity is giving high school students a firsthand look at what it’s like to work in health care at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). For Grade 11 student Anviksha Singh, the experience helped shape what she wants to do after high school. Singh spent a month this summer in LHSC’s pediatric surgical program, observing health care professionals and getting an inside look at several potential career paths. “My biggest takeaway was it really solidified my interest in health care, because I was able to get that one-to-one exposure and really see how patient interactions actually work,” said Singh. Singh rotated through several areas, including pediatric plastic surgery, orthopedics, and general surgery. “It was great to just be able to observe and really see the day-to-day life of those career paths,” she said. Dr. Andreana Bütter, chair of pediatric surgery at LHSC, says exposing students to health care early is intentional, “The point is for high school students to learn about health care and all the different positions that we have in the hospital and outside, and for them to get interested in it, get excited about it, and then think about hopefully doing that as a career.” The program gives students an opportunity to see the realities of health care careers before they have to choose a post-secondary path. For Singh, the experience was also a chance to better understand where she sees herself in the future, “By having that exposure start out early, you’re really able to see and set your path very well.” Singh hopes more high school students learn about opportunities that allow them to explore health care careers firsthand. For her, a month inside pediatric health care did more than offer a glimpse of the profession, it helped give her a clearer idea of where she wants her future to go.
