Kimberly Gross, a senior at SGHS, is an aspiring physician’s assistant. She is enrolled in the New Visions: Health Careers program to get a jump start on her career and says she loves it.

The New Visions Health Careers initiative is an advanced Capital Region BOCES program designed for a select-group of high school seniors interested in medical and health-related professions. Located at Ellis and St. Peter’s hospitals, the program prepares high school seniors for more than two-dozen careers and immerses them in a thought-provoking and challenging curriculum designed to build their knowledge of the human body and medicine. 

“I definitely want to be in the medical field, and I chose New Visions for the experience, to be able to be around patients and in a hospital setting,” said Kimberly. 

Students learn through traditional methods (lecture, reading, research, writing and focused study), group discussions, internships and rotations. They take part in approximately 30 rotations in hospital departments ranging from surgery to outpatient care and even facility operations. In the past, students have witnessed and taken part in everything from C-sections and hysterectomies to stroke patient care and emergency room operations. 

Kimberly said hands-on learning has made a difference. “This education is so much more centralized around what I want to do in the future, and I find I learn a lot more in this setting,” she said. 

Visit the New Visions: Health Careers – Capital Region BOCES page for information on the program.