Inside S.S. Seward’s afterschool medical offering

S.S. Seward Institute students are learning about careers in medicine and some basic skills by shadowing real life resident doctors at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine during a series of after school programs, the school district shared.

The MedAchieve program allows high school juniors to focus on the foundations of medicine such as anatomy and genetics, while MedExcel is for seniors to further their understanding.

According to the school, two students from each of Orange County’s school districts meet once a week to do hands-on activities under the guidance of resident doctors at Touro. Some of the activities include stitching and working in the college’s anatomy and cadaver labs, as well as hearing medical related talks from the college’s professors.

“A lot of it is hands-on,” business teacher Barbara Scheibling said. “For somebody that’s going into that field, it’s a great way to really enjoy it and be a part of it.”

Students do not earn college credit or other honors in this night program where it is treated like a college course. Scheibling, who assists students with applying for the program, noted that if they miss more than one class they are out of the program.

“This is all on their own and they commit to it,” Scheibling said. “I tell them, ‘If you’re not serious about this, this is not right for you.’”

Scheibling has found that many of the students who participated in the program end up working in the medical field.

“They’re totally into this,” she said of the students. “These are kids who would like to be doctors or in the medical field.”

The program helped junior Autumn Montanez realize what she wanted to do as her career. “I knew I was interested in fields of healthcare, and through MedAchieve I’ve solidified my answer by learning about so many aspects of healthcare,” Montanez said. “I have loved this program in my first year.”

Senior Taylor Vogt appreciates gaining more exposure to the medical field. She counted holding a real human brain in the cadaver lab and completing naloxone and bleed control trainings as her best experiences.

“Not many high schoolers have an opportunity to get insight into the life of a medical student and learn through hands-on instruction,” Vogt said. “I’ve learned a lot from my mentor and feel better prepared for the future.”