To have a firsthand experience learning about the medical field is not something most people ever have, and that is especially true about high school students. But a few seniors at Westside have had a unique opportunity to take classes that offer hands-on experience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center through the High School Alliance Program.

The UNMC High School Alliance program gives students who are interested in the medical field a unique opportunity to work alongside doctors, researchers and teachers at the medical center. Since its creation four years ago, the program has grown from offering three spots to Westside in the past, to having six students enrolled in the program this year.

Students in the program take classes at the high school in the morning and go to UNMC in the afternoon. Senior Quinn Nelson is a participant of the program this year, and he takes two classes at the med center, Health Science Fundamentals on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and The Art and Science of Medical Decision Making on Wednesday and Friday afternoons. While Nelson really enjoys the fast-paced and in-depth learning of the program, he thinks potential students should consider their other daily activities before enrolling in the program.

“It’s such a great program, but to every good thing there are a few downsides,” Nelson said. “You’re not at school for half of the day, so you’re not with friends as much. I also didn’t know how it was going to work out with soccer and show choir, so I definitely had to consider my other activities before committing to the program.”

Although Nelson has not taken any AP science courses at Westside, he said he thinks students get valuable hands-on experience that is emphasized by the Med Center’s abundance of resources that the high school science courses do not have. Each class he has taken so far has taught him about different concepts in a new way that are more interactive than any course he has taken before.

“What’s cool about my Health Science Fundamentals class is that in the college of Nursing Science they have six simulation labs where they have mannequins that breathe and simulate blood pressure and heart rate,” Nelson said. “It’s like you’re treating a person without having the chance of doing them harm because they’re mannequins.”

While the Health Science Fundamentals class is one that is very interactive, Nelson thinks his other class about decision making in the medical field really pushes students to think of the more difficult ethical issues that come with working in the medical field.

“During the first month The Art of Science and Decision Making was mostly about science,” Nelson said. “But now were talking about the tough decisions that doctors and patients have to make. It’s kind of the things that don’t get talked about as far as science goes, and there’s a lot of ethics involved. I’m really glad I took this class because it gives you insight on stuff that only medical doctors would experience, and it’s cool to get the chance to talk to people now when I’m a senior in high school.”

In addition to taking classes, Nelson also does a monthly job shadow of someone who works in the medical field. At the beginning of the year students chose different medical careers that they were interested in, and they were assigned different medical professionals to visit based on their interests.

Nelson thinks the UNMC High School Alliance program is a good opportunity for any high school student who wants to get involved in the medical field. Since the program is very reflective of what students would experience in medical school, Nelson thinks it is a great chance for students to get firsthand knowledge from renowned doctors and researchers.

If interested students have questions about the program, guidance counselor Kirk Henningsen recommends either contacting one of the counselors about the program, or visiting the information website. Henningsen thinks it is never too early to plan ahead, no matter what grade students are.

“I did have a student who is a sophomore asking me this year about this program,” Henningson said. “I think that whatever age you are, come ask questions to the guidance counselors or look at the website. We always have students planning for all four years, so if you want to plan ahead to do something like this there are many other things you want to think about ahead of time.”

The Application for the 2014-2015 program is due Friday, March 7. The application can be accessed at this website: http://www.unmc.edu/alliance/