Meet a doctor in the making!

Emma Engel has wanted to be a doctor since she was a little girl, even though she admitted going through a phase where she was afraid of needles!

The Campbell County High School (CCHS) senior is one of 12 internship or mentorship students who are learning about healthcare careers through direct experience at Campbell County Health (CCH) this semester. The internship students are juniors participating in the Health Care academy at CCHS and they rotate between three different assignments per semester. Seniors are typically the mentorship students who are placed in one location for the entire semester for a more in-depth study. The mentorship students are enrolled in the Health Care academy with Ms. Williams or Mentorship class with Ms. Watt at CCHS.

CCH has participated in the CCHS Academy program and accepted students through mentorship classes for several years, but sets the bar high those who want to see health care in action. According to Volunteer Coordinator Chris Buxton, students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and complete a rigorous application process that includes writing an essay.

The students don’t provide any direct patient care, but they get to watch and learn what goes on in various healthcare settings. Last year Emma was placed on the Campbell County Health Medical Surgical floor and even got to observe a surgery.

“It was the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced,” she said.

This semester Emma asked to be placed at the Campbell County Medical Group Kid Clinic, a primary care clinic for children in the old Hillcrest School. Physician Assistant Val Amstadt has worked with physician assistant students and nursing students before, and is looking forward to sharing her knowledge with Emma.

Emma is very excited for the opportunity to work with Val because she is a patient of the Kid Clinic herself. She’s currently taking Human Physiology and wants to attend Seattle Pacific University as a prelude to medical school.

“Emma is a very dedicated student,” says Chris Buxton. “I could tell from our first meeting that she will succeed at any goal she sets for herself.”

If you're interested in learning more about volunteering with CCH, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Chris Buxton at 307.688.1536 or visit www.cchwyo.org/volunteer.