Kahuku High School students showing an interest in the medical/healthcare field got first-hand experiences of their potential careers at Kahuku Medical Center (KMC) this past school year.

Twenty-three Kahuku High students finished the “Capstone” Health Service Pathway program at KMC this month. It was part of a three-year program at the high school’s health academy, with the third year being the ‘capstone’ of the health academy courses. These students visited the KMC facility weekly during the school year to shadow and learn from the various hospital department staff.

The program’s intent is to help the students develop potential new career skills while performing community service work, said Dr. Jason Hughes of KMC’s primary care clinic.

“We have a great batch of students each year participating in the KMC Capstone program, but this year’s students were really enthusiastic in learning from our medical staff,” Dr. Hughes said. “Even if the students eventually decide not to get into a medical-related career, the first-aid and emergency preparedness skills they learned could help them in another job or career.”