Are you a high school student thinking about a career in health care?

If so, perhaps you’ll want to consider volunteering with Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority to earn a half-credit (55 hours) or full credit (110 hours) towards the Community Service Student Initiated Project Credit.

Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority partners with students and schools to offer hands-on experience and exposure to a variety of health-care programs such as nursing, rehabilitation services, and long-term and palliative care. Other options include nutrition and food services, maintenance, and lab and imaging.

“The internship program gives the students insight about each health career by job shadowing the different health-care professionals,” said Lori Buors, Indigenous human resources development assistant.

“This way, the student can decide if the career they want to go into is right for them.”

Ella Spence recently wrapped up an internship at Selkirk hospital. While she was job-shadowing there, she determined that she would like to become a surgeon as her career goal.

For Ella, who recently graduated and lives in West St. Paul, it was interesting to see different areas of Selkirk hospital including surgery, the emergency room and the family birthing unit.

“All of the staff were very helpful in showing me what they were doing and why they were doing it. I got to see many different procedures, including child birth. Many of these procedures many people never see, and I am grateful I got to use it as a learning experience,” said Ella, who plans to attend the University of Manitoba this fall to study science. 

“Watching doctors, nurses and health-care aides work gave me an even bigger respect for the jobs they do and how important they are in our society. I also got to help with basic patient needs, by making them more comfortable and getting them what they need when they are unable to.”

She expressed gratitude for her experience through the internship program, which is open to all high school students in the Interlake-Eastern region.

“This experience truly gave me a better understanding of the health-care field and gave me an idea of what it would be like to work in health care,” she said.
“Thank you to all of the staff who helped me learn and allowed me to watch them as they work.”

To learn more, contact Lori Buors at [email protected].