First graduating class of Summer Health Internship Program celebrated

For five weeks the student interns walked the halls of Ventura County hospitals and clinics, paired with all types of medical workers, from physicians and therapists to nurses and support staff and administrators; one student even became a patient. Now the five are graduates of the first-ever Doctor Sam Edwards Summer Health Internship Program (SHIP) that provided the 16- to 18-year-olds the chance to not only explore medical field career options, but also to earn some pocket money,  $8.50 an hour funded by Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation.

The students - selected from among the 21 that applied for SHIP - were celebrated at a recent reception hosted by the foundation at Santa Paula Hospital, just one location where the students had spent time exploring future careers. Graduates of inaugural program are Jasper Aguayo, 17, Gislia Negrete, 16, and Elissa Rico, 17, all incoming seniors at Santa Paula High School; Yanelle Diaz, 17, an incoming senior at Fillmore High School; and Ashley Morino, 18, a Fillmore High graduate who will attend CSU San Jose in the fall. 

According to Foundation President Bill Bartels, the program took about a year to design to give students the chance to explore all aspects of the medical field. The foundation - which serves Fillmore, Santa Paula and Piru - partnered with the Ventura County Health Care Agency to offer the program. “That Dr. Robert Gonzalez,” the director of the Ventura County Health Care Agency, “is here is a real indication of how important this is to the health care agency and the foundation,” said Bartels.

The students had a 40-hour workweek where they were able to help define their career choices as their time was rotated between county hospitals and clinics. Aguayo even had his lower arms placed in casts to observe the procedure, both with the eye of a future physician and to play patient. Soon he was wearing a cast for real after he broke his wrist when the tire on his bicycle popped.

Other summer interns, some wearing hospital scrubs, had other stories about their experiences as well as their favorite duty. “The emergency room was probably my favorite department,” said Negrete, who said her experience allowed her to “embark on a journey like no other” and the opportunity to observe the close working relationship between ER doctors and nurses.

Aguayo also enjoyed his time in the ER, as well ICU, and working at the Fillmore Medical Clinic, “the most personal” setting he said he found himself in. The aspiring physician added, “I really got a feel for what I’ll be doing.” 

“I got to see things I didn’t know I would be allowed to see,” including medical teamwork, said Morino.