Senior Phoebe Loh and junior Diane Zhao walked through the sliding glass doors into the City of Hope, feeling the air conditioning swiftly rush towards them. Their hearts raced with dread as they saw visitors waiting in brown chairs and gowned patients walking through the hallways, accompanied by attentive nurses. They quickly followed their mentor through the hospital’s corridors, ready to care for the patients.
“My experience was wonderful,” Zhao said. “I enjoyed learning about the medical field and expanding my knowledge of what other medical careers are out there.”
Loh and Zhao rotated between different departments every week, from cellular biology to radiology. They also shadowed employees to learn about the employees’ daily jobs and treatment procedures.
Although the program mainly explored professions in the medical field, the lessons covered more than medicine, as Loh and Zhao acquired valuable experiences in the business aspect of running a hospital.
Every Thursday, Human Relations professionals helped them develop hard and soft abilities. Loh and Zhao acquired resume building and interview techniques as well as teamwork, communication and flexibility skills.
“Breaking out of the Temple City bubble was important to me, because the workforce will not have the same language, ethnic or cultural boundaries as Temple City,” Loh said. “TC is a tight knit community, with an ‘everyone knows everyone’ mindset, but in the hospital, I was forced to speak to patients and adults. Placing yourself in a new environment is hard, but doing it will always benefit you.”
COH inspired Loh to consider Nursing and ignited Zhao’s interest in Surgical Pathology.
“An impactful memory that I remember from my time there would be learning about the Pathology department,” Zhao said. “It was the one department that I enjoyed the most, and I am adding that department to my list of future careers. I liked how precise they were when cutting the specimens, and it is something that I am considering to do for my future.”
Their ventureship gave Loh and Zhao the opportunity to deliver hope to patients.
“A patient was undergoing her last day of treatment, and at the end of her treatment, I was able to give her a certificate and a medal congratulating her,” Loh said. “Although this was a small act, she started to cry out of happiness. Everyone working at the COH has a goal to cure cancer and to give their patients the best care, and that is what stuck with me the most.”
TCHS School Newspaper