Medical students from regional colleges and universities are perfecting their trade at Southwest Memorial Hospital.

As a teaching hospital, Southwest enjoys the benefits of providing clinical rotations and training for students, including hiring them to serve the community.

Nicole Blake and Kelly Brimhall are medical students training at Southwest, and Brendan Mexican, is a former student hired on in the microbiology lab.

First-year student Nicole Blake, from Southwest Community College in Durango, is studying to become an X-ray technologist. Putting down the books and experiencing firsthand the equipment and procedures is key for understanding the trade, she said.

"It was a competitive program to get into, and it has been fantastic to get hands-on experience you can't get from a book," she said. "I take X-rays, make sure patients are comfortable and clean rooms and equipment. I feel like I am getting a jump start on my career."

Blake-Wayland is supervised by Wendell Heck, radiology director, and radiology teacher Jonathan Godisak. She came to Southwest because they take first year students, and she works two eight-hour shifts a week. As a second-year student, she will move to three eight-hour shifts.

"As she progresses and gets more clinical check-offs, she will work more with patients, starting with easy chest X-rays, on up to the more difficult things like CAT scans," Heck said.

After her two-year program, Blake hopes to work locally as an X-ray tech, either in Durango, Cortez or Farmington.

"Working in rural hospitals is definitely in my scope, and because the program is two years, I can get into the job market fairly quickly," she said. "While working I'll continue my education to go into the more advanced fields like, CT, MRI, and ultrasound."

And the payoff is worth it.

"The average pay scale for right out of school is $21 per hour," Heck said. "If they have family, they can start making money and balance family and career and then continue their education."

Offering student training gives Southwest good exposure, Godisak said of the program, and it is free labor for regular staff.

"It gets our name out there and shows how great our facility is. Their work here makes my job easier," he said. "It's a good field because you can travel with it and get a job anywhere."

Over at the microbiology lab, Kelly Brimhall, a student from the University of New Mexico, works on diagnosing a patient ailment under a microscope. She is finishing up a four-year degree in medical-lab sciences.

Under supervised five-week program at Southwest, she uses cultures to look for infections and then lets the physician know which antibiotic to use. Lab technicians are trying to identify organisms that have become resistant to antibiotics so doctors are aware of what not treatment not to use.

She is the first from her university program to fulfill her clinical lab rotation at Southwest, and would love to be hired locally if a position became available.

"I could work in research labs, veterinary labs, industry labs," she said. "I enjoy lab work because you are behind the scenes."

Southwest offers more for student training than other facilities.

"When I did a rotation at the Mayo Clinic, it was very compartmentalized. Lab techs are just in one area. They don't rotate through all the different areas like you do in a rural hospital. I can get experience in different departments and that is very helpful."

Jo Whaley, director of clinical laboratory services, said the training pays off in jobs for students.

"We've hired from PCC and San Juan College into lab positions," she said. "They get to do more here, actually analyzing and doing quality control."

Brendan Mexican, 22, did his student medical training at Southwest, and landed a job as a medical lab technician shortly thereafter.

He takes a break from servicing the Ortho Vitros 5600, a van-size chemistry analyzer critical for diagnosing illnesses from thyroid problems and liver diseases, to heart attacks, kidney disease and pancreatic cancers.

"The training I had here was very important, and helped me to get the job because I learned how to use this equipment," he said. "I got into the field because my high school counselor knew the San Juan College had opened up a new program and thought it was something I'd be good at because I like science and math."

His professional relationship with the staff helped him to land the job.

"We knew he has a strong work ethic, and his personality is a good match for our lab," Whaley said. "Our investment in students is what I call 'growing our own,' training and hiring someone who is local and wants to stay local."

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com