By Eliza PARTIKA

Thirteen nurses, doctors, RNs, licensed psychologists and other health professionals presented to students in Crescenta Valley High School’s Academy of Science and Medicine. The presentations were made on Dec. 6 with the goal of inspiring students’ interest in a broad range of careers in health. 

Catherine Ko, a registered nurse at St. Jude Medical Center, said the presentations were to give students an idea of what it was like being a medical professional. 

“I wanted to share what my day in a life looks like and what to expect,” she said. “[Health Career Night] was one of the first spaces in which I was introduced to specific health careers like physicians assistants and researchers, which allowed me to be curious about the jobs that I may have never had a chance to hear about,” she said. 

CVHS students told CV Weekly they were greatly inspired by the stories told and advice given. 

Claire Oh, an 11th grader at CVHS who plans to go into medicine, said the presentations gave her a more realistic idea of what to expect with a career in medicine. 

“[They allowed] me to view my career options from a more realistic perspective [salary for each occupation, years of schooling required, interactions with patients, student debt, etc.],” she said. “Hearing how enthusiastically the speakers presented made me realize the importance of finding an occupation that genuinely brings you joy.”

Dr. Marc Montecillo, a physician with Kaiser Permanente, spoke about how he was able to do research with world-leading oncologists and become a doctor though his path was not as “conventional” as others’ as he was an immigrant and had to balance school with fatherhood. Oh said it was reassuring to hear someone as hard-working and well-accomplished as he admit how humbling medical school was and the journey to becoming who he is today.

“It was beyond inspiring to hear from people who graduated from the Academy of Science and Medicine and Crescenta Valley High School undergo over a decade of schooling, pass the MCAT, get into a residency/fellowship program, and talk about how they, too, were once in our shoes,” she said. 

CVHS junior Kalin Jabnian said the presentations inspired him to continue his  journey into medicine and gave great insight into what it was like to be a medical professional. 

“[Presenter Dr. Montecillo] was extremely informative and inspirational as he shared with us his journey to medicine. One key takeaway from his presentation was his advice on the importance of avoiding distraction while one is pursuing the goal,” Jabnian said. 

Caden Park, a 10th grade student at CVHS, was also inspired by Montecillo’s story and the advice of the other professionals. 

“The presentations were very meaningful to me in terms of how these professionals worked with their patients and their impressive and productive work ethic and lifestyle,” Park said. “The persevering drive and motivation of each and every speaker inspired me the most.”

For Ko, it was important to share her journey for those students who may not have grown up with connections to the health profession. 

“It’s important for young people to hear about different professions because their interests may lie in a role outside of a doctor. It empowers them to figure out what is important for them as they select their majors and find opportunities that may open new doors,” she said. 

She hopes students develop an interest in health care beyond expectations of salary and lifestyle, and beyond “being a doctor.” 

“These young people are interested in something they don’t know everything about,” Ko said. “I hope they can continue these events for students to see what responsibilities these jobs carry and how it affects life after work. I hope they learn there are so many ways to be part of the health care system.”