Exploring Opportunities in Health and Medicine as a Teenager

Getting involved in healthcare and medicine as a teenager can be hard. With school, extracurriculars, and other passions it can be difficult to make time for pursuing future career interests. Because of this, I wanted to discuss some ways in which I, and some of my friends, are able to learn more in these areas.

Firstly, some of us are fortunate to live in areas near hospitals or other opportunities. For example, one of my friends volunteers regularly at a hospital. This allows her to experience what it is like to work in a hospital setting. Although she does not get to actually operate on physicians, this has opened doors for her in terms of shadowing and mentorship opportunities. Additionally, I have been actively pursuing my EMT certification. While this opportunity may vary per state, as states have different age requirements, if you qualify to work in the EMS I would highly recommend it. To get involved, find online or in-person classes near you. You will need to meet several requirements – completion of a course, testing, CPR certification, and more. However, despite the efforts I think that it is worth it.

Along with this, find ways to explore health and medicine in school-related classes and activities. Many schools offer additional science classes – like AP Biology and Anatomy – that may allow for further exploration. School clubs and opportunities like HOSA and Red Cross could also be good opportunities as well.

Online courses can be very valuable too, especially if there are limited health and science offerings at your school. Personally, I have been able to take around six additional health and science related classes outside of school (neuroscience, genetics, epidemiology, forensics, AP Psych, and epigenetics) through free online platforms like Coursera.

Finally, explore health and medicine through platforms like our organization! Either submit blogs for our blog platform or reach out to get involved within your community. We are currently accepting applications for potential chapter leaders, so if you are interested reach out to start a chapter!