UHS Delaware Valley Hospital offers career exploration opportunity to local high school students

UHS Delaware Valley Hospital and Walton Central School District have collaborated to offer Experiences, Career Exploration & Learning in Healthcare, or EXCEL, a two-year program for high school juniors and seniors interested in future careers in healthcare to experience the hospital setting firsthand.

EXCEL begins with job shadowing for students in their junior year. Juniors have the opportunity to observe healthcare professionals as they perform their jobs. Students are given the option to shadow in various areas of healthcare, including the Emergency Department, diagnostic and imaging services, laboratory, pharmacy, walk-in clinic services, and more.

Seniors then continue in the EXCEL program through an unpaid internship. Students are given the opportunity to select areas of healthcare that interest them, and are then scheduled for internship hours in their chosen area. During their internship, students receive both online and in-person trainings, and are evaluated on their employability from the skills and knowledge gained through their experience.

Students enrolled in the program during the 2024-25 school year expressed that their participation in EXCEL provided them with valuable experience, allowing them to see firsthand what a future career in healthcare might look like. Students already interested in careers in nursing were given the opportunity to learn what areas of healthcare interested them the most, while other students found inspiration for a new career path.

For those who may be interested in working in healthcare but may not want to work in a clinical role, EXCEL also allows students to explore non-clinical areas to get an understanding of the various career opportunities available to them.

To be eligible, students must have good attendance throughout high school, strong academic performance, plans for future education in healthcare, and a high level of motivation and initiative, among other requirements.

Eligible juniors and seniors at Walton Central School District who are interested in careers in healthcare are encouraged to apply by contacting their guidance counselor or the Student Services office.

DVH is proud to offer students this unique opportunity to explore careers in healthcare, helping to cultivate the next generation of healthcare heroes. The hospital looks forward to continuing its successful collaboration with Walton Central School District, and hopes to expand the program and work with additional school districts in the years to come.

School districts interested in participating in the EXCEL program can contact Laura Northrup, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, or Daniel Endress, director of Education and Emergency Preparedness, at DVH to learn more.