Student Shadowing Program Back at Saint Mary's Hospital

WATERBURY, Conn. -- After a successful inaugural kickoff in the summer of 2022, Saint Mary’s Hospital is again hosting the Summer Student Shadowing Program for Waterbury middle and high school students during the last week of July and first week of August. The goal of the program is to introduce the city’s young people to careers in health care. The program is a community-driven collaboration involving partners from Brass City Charter School, Crosby High School, Granville Academy, and Grace Baptist Church.

“Last summer’s pilot program was a tremendous success. It certainly provided the students a wonderful experience, and it gave them opportunities to learn firsthand from seasoned health care professionals,” said Shawna Edwards, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at Saint Mary’s Hospital. “The students engaged with physicians during one-on-one mentoring sessions, they discovered the role that clinical engineering plays in the day-to-day operations of a hospital and how to Stop the Bleed. You can’t put a price on personal, quality time with young people.”

This year Saint Mary’s Hospital has also partnered with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board to include internships, along with the job shadowing for high school students. It is part of a larger initiative of the Northwest Healthcare Regional Sector Partnership, in collaboration with local and regional hospitals and healthcare providers to encourage interest in health care careers amongst high school students.

“This internship was a true vision inspired by our health care industry partners and has grown beyond our expectations as our first pilot program. We’re so happy to see the students learn so much and explore careers in the exciting field of health care,” said Ana Goncalves, Director of Strategic Planning & Development for the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board.

“The Summer Shadowing Program gives the students a first-hand look at healthcare practices in a major hospital setting,” said Judge Maurice B. Mosley, president of Granville Academy. “The students have a chance to be inspired by health care professionals that look like them. This exposure tells the students that they can become doctors, nurses, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals.”

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 5% of medical school students are black or African American, and just about the same number are Hispanic. A report from the National Institutes of Health explains that one method of achieving a diverse health care workforce is to establish, promote, and conduct student training programs.

The one-week, half-day sessions will run from July 24 through July 28 for middle school students from the Brass City Charter School and July 31 through August 4 for students from Crosby High School. Each session has been programmed to expose students to various health care disciplines, both clinical and non-clinical.

Students will also attend hands on breakout sessions focused on a particular specialty or department. For instance, one breakout session will occur in the Wound Healing Center, where students will learn how to administer a wound vac. Students will participate in a Stop The Bleed training session and tour the Northwest Connecticut Public Safety Communications Center.