Geneva High School has any club that you can think of available to the students; even a medical club. The medical club gives students interested in the medical field the opportunity to learn more about specific jobs, and also some internship opportunities. Last week during PLC, the medical club set up a Q&A session with people of four different medical occupations to give students an idea of what it’s like to work these jobs on a day to day basis.

We began with Dr. James Sanders, who is a physician at Northwestern Medicine. He also worked with college admissions in Iowa and had a surplus of good advice for those wanting to get into medical school. Sanders explained that letters of recommendation were vital. And these letters should not only be from teachers, but also from medical practices that you have interned with. Sanders also explained that a student trying to get into med-school should be diverse and interesting, meaning that not only should they have good grades, but also experience that proves that they can connect well with others. He suggested that students participate in “Habitats and Humanity” or other volunteer organizations to prove that they can connect and empathize well with others. Sanders also urged students to take classes other than science in pre-med, such as business, personal finance, public speaking, and computer because these will be vital tools when it comes to working any medical profession. When asked why he decided to become a physician, he responded, “It’s very rewarding and very interesting; never predictable. That’s why I choose medicine; I knew I wanted to do something with purpose.”

We then moved on to Dr. Melissa Jenz-Cote, who works at Geneva Family Dental. She explained what she loved most about being a dentist, “I love seeing families, and I love seeing them grow. It’s very rewarding and very connective.” She also explained that a huge perk of dentistry is that you get to make your own hours, although she worked very hard to get to that point.

Next we were introduced to Laura Waldoch, a family Nurse Practitioner. She explained that nurse practitioners collaborate with physicians, and bounce different ideas off of each other. Waldoch also works with cancer patients. She explains the road of recovery that lies ahead to cancer patients, and also has the difficult task of making arrangements for patients before they pass away. She explained that she loves connecting with people and being there for them during those tough times, “I love the building relationships part. I would highly recommend this job to anyone.”

Lastly, we were introduced to Mary Carol MacDonald, a dietitian at St. Joseph Hospital. She advises people on what they should eat in order to live a healthy lifestyle. She explained that she knew what she wanted to do ever since she was a kid learning about the human body in class. She was fascinated when learning about everything that goes on in the human body. Yet, becoming a dietitian is very hard work, “There is a very heavy science background that goes into it. I could have applied to medical school with the courses that I took.”

We also asked some of these professionals to discuss future trends in their fields. Here is what they said:

MacDonald: “Any position in health care looks good. There are many changes created by our government. Everything is electronic these days.”

Cote: “Dentistry is not quite as changed as the other medical fields. We try not to be a very insurance driven practice. It’s still a great job for the future. It’s just a fabulous career all around.”

Waldoch: “The medical field is a great way to go. People are always going to need health care.”

Sanders: “Doctors are becoming a dying breed. Unfortunately the openings for med-school are going down and the cost is going up.”