A group of high school students from across the region is gaining valuable health care experience through a summer internship at Southwest Health System.
Students from high schools in Montezuma County, and Durango, are taking part in a month of immersive rotations to explore medical careers. This summer’s interns are Liam Tarpey (Dolores), Kale Gates (Dolores), Marcuz Penafie (Montezuma-Cortez), Josephine Phare (Durango), Rynie Neiman (Durango), Maddison Daves (Mancos), Peyton Benally (MCHS), Eva Casey (Mancos), Sophia Dainty-Guilfoyle (Durango) and Alexandria Greene (MCHS).
The internship offers rotations based on student interests, while exposing students to departments they may not be as familiar with to broaden their horizons. Students have had the opportunity to work in radiology, the operating room and physical therapy.
“We started in 2013 and the whole intent was to really give an opportunity to explore health professions,” Meghan Higman, director of inpatient services and education, told The Journal. “I also purposely place people in departments that maybe not be an area of interest, because I think, you don't know what you don't know. So, it's really meant to get full 360 of health career professions as a whole.”
Some students discovered new interests. Casey said she was initially interested in imaging but now is interested in other areas.
The fast-paced environment and fields challenged initial assumptions and allowed students to learn more about the careers they are interested in.
“I learned a lot about physical therapy and I thought it was a lot of fun,” Gates said. “Like helping people whenever they need it, after surgery or after they’re in a rough time, you can help them, and that’s really rewarding.”
Neiman noted how valuable the experience has been, especially with limited opportunities in Durango. Durango’s hospital doesn’t don’t take interns or clinical workers under 18 years old.
“It’s hard to pinpoint a favorite part, just because I think the experience is so valuable, especially with companies like this being somewhat limited in Durango,” Neiman said. “I think it’s really great to see a day in the life and everything that’s happening.”
Weekly Thursday sessions, lasting four hours, feature hands-on training in IVs, tourniquets, the LUCAS device, helipad visits and CPR certification, with recent sessions including voice and attention exercises led by specialists. Shifts range from two to four hours daily, working in rotations.
The selection process for the internship required essays, recommendation letters, interviews, drug tests, background checks, TB tests and new employee orientation, mirroring hospital staff onboarding.
The interns urged other students to apply, highlighting the program’s eye-opening nature and unique opportunity to test medical career paths before college.
“I say go for it because this is really like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or it feels like it,” Benally said.