News

Students get hands-on, real life experience with ADMH co-op placement

March 12, 2010
Learning doesn't just happen in a classroom, just ask five Arnprior District High School students who recently completed a Co-operative Education placement at Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital (ADMH) and The Grove.

3 Students Theresa Fritz, Arnprior EMC
Although sad to be leaving Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital, local students (from left) Lauren Coulas, Melissa Farmer and Haley MacIntyre were happy with their co-op placements there. They, along with other students, felt the experience exceeded their expectations. Here, they show off their projects.

EMC News - Learning doesn't just happen in a classroom, just ask five Arnprior District High School students who recently completed a Co-operative Education placement at Arnprior and District Memorial Hospital (ADMH) and The Grove.

The students had the opportunity to work in a variety of areas at the health-care institutions and are walking away with relevant experience, which may lead them on a path to higher education.

Co-operative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. Placements provide academic credit for structured job experience.

For Grade 11 student Lauren Coulas, working in the hospital's health records department was an eye-opening experience.

"I want to get into the health and wellness field," she said, admitting she thought her placement would be all paperwork and filing but it turned out to be much more.

"I thought it was better than I expected," Coulas said, adding she had a lot of fun working with the individuals in that department.

Melissa Farmer and Haley MacIntyre, Grade 12 and Grade 11 students respectively, worked in a health science rotation at the hospital. This saw them work in a variety of departments in the hospital.

"It was really hands-on. I got to do a lot," said Farmer. "Everyone was very welcoming."

Farmer hopes to go to medical school after completing university.

MacIntyre agreed that everyone at ADMH was welcoming and open to the students. Her favourite part of the rotation was time spent in the hospital's ER.

"It was organized chaos," she admitted. "Everyone just worked so well together. It was a good team environment."

MacIntyre hopes to go to medical school and wants to be a pediatrician because she loves children and helping people.

Both students admit the placement was far more "hands on" than either of them expected.

Grade 11 student Courtney Eubank worked at The Grove in the activity room. Part of her duties involved organizing events for residents.

"It was good," she said of her placement.

While not quite sure what she wants to do in the future, she said she liked having the co-op experience because she "wanted to try something."

Another student who worked at The Grove was Grade 11 student Chris Chattillon. He worked in dietary services and enjoyed preparing meals.

All of the students encourage anyone looking for a different experience outside the classroom to try co-op.

"It is a great learning experience," noted MacIntyre. "It's an easy way to learn something educational and enjoy yourself outside the classroom."

Farmer added it was nice to be treated like a peer by the hospital staff and get a chance to be part of the working world.

"It wasn't like we were students. It was like we were supposed to be here," she said.

Most of the students said they became aware of co-operative education in Grade 9 and all were sad to see their placements come to an end.

All of the students completed presentations as part of their experiences with Farmer building a body out of X-ray films and MacIntyre building a papier mache skeleton.

ADMH and The Grove are just two of many local employers who open their doors to high school co-op students on a regular basis.


http://www.emcarnprior.ca/20100129/news/Students+get+hands-on,+real+life+experience+with+ADMH+co-op+placement