High School Students Gain Hands-on Healthcare Experience at OhioHealth Pickerington Methodist Hospital

For the students shadowing at OhioHealth Pickerington Methodist Hospital, the experience is more than just another school activity, it’s the first real glimpse into what could be their future careers. 

This opportunity is made possible through a collaboration between Pickerington Local School District (PLSD) and OhioHealth, offering upperclassmen in PLSD’s biomedical science program a hands-on introduction to healthcare. What starts in eighth grade as an exploratory course can evolve into years of immersive learning, leading to a senior capstone shadowing opportunity with real doctors and real patients. 

Since the program’s launch in 2012, it has grown steadily, with enrollment doubling from fewer than 40 students in 2016 to more than 80 in 2025. 

“I always remind people, to get 80-some students rotating through is pretty much unheard of,” Andy Harris, STEM biomedical science coordinator at PLSD, told CityScene Magazine. “I engage with a lot of other schools and different types of programs around the state, and they’ll have, like, 12 kids. We have a success problem where it’s some 82 kids.” 

Before participating, students must complete prerequisite courses covering foundational medical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Students must be 16 to shadow and 18 to observe surgery. 

The opening of Pickerington Methodist Hospital in December 2023 has provided even more specialties for students to explore. Participants are exposed to more than 360 different career paths in healthcare, helping them determine what interests them, and just as importantly, what doesn’t. 

“Somebody might say they want to be a surgeon, but then we get the (cadaver) pigs out, and they can’t stay in the room,” Harris said. “Or they shadow an anesthesiologist and realize it’s a lot of waiting. If you want a chill job for 30 years, that’s great. If you want action, you might need to rethink things.” 

The program not only helps students shape their career but also gives them useful skills for school and life. 

“There’s a second-year class called human body systems, and for me personally, that kind of taught me how to study, and taught me I didn't have the best studying habits,” said PLSD senior Brayden Blake. “It was a difficult class for me, a lot of memorization. So, I think going to this class and then the next three years really helped me understand how to study properly and learn those habits.” 

Sasha Williams, athletic trainer and STEM program coordinator at Pickerington, said the benefits of this early exposure to healthcare careers are undeniable. 

“I wish I had something like this when I was in college,” she said. “A lot of healthcare workers say the exact same thing. These kids are at such an advantage to have this experience in high school. It’s so important.”