Medical Occupations (Med Occs) is a Regional Occupational Program (ROP) offered at Amador. The Med Occs course provides hands-on learning in medical environments, allowing high school students to explore various specialties before pursuing higher education or careers in healthcare.
“I have been following the PLTW pathway to pursue biology in the medical field, so I wanted a real experience. Rather than just sitting in a classroom, [the course] is definitely a lot more interesting. My current site is the Ambulatory Surgery Center at Stanford Tri-Valley, and I’ve gotten to see multiple procedures,” said Dhruvi Shah (‘25).
Path of Med Occs
Designed for students interested in gaining practical experience in healthcare, the Med Occs course allows students to gain real-world exposure to medical settings. To qualify for the course, students must meet specific requirements.
“At least for Amador, you have to go through the entire PLTW Biomedical Life Sciences pathway. This includes classes like Principles of Biomedical Sciences and Honors Human Body Systems. There’s also an application where you have to talk about your attendance and have a letter of recommendation, which is probably the biggest factor in getting accepted to the course,” said Emma Chang (‘25).
From ambulatory surgery centers to memory care sites, students observe, interact, and learn about several procedures and skills that they can apply to their future careers.
“We didn’t start our actual site until late October, but we go to our site from eight to ten in the morning every day except Wednesday. On Wednesday, we go to Foothill and go over the human body systems and learn about that,” said Chang.
Benefits
Beyond technical skills, the course fosters independence and adaptability. Students are responsible for engaging in their learning experiences, taking initiative in tasks, and building relationships with patients and medical professionals.
“I’ve learned how to interact with other people in a professional setting, talk to patients, and learn patient care. I’ve also learned how to manage my time because it’s early in the morning and I have to commute [to my site],” said Diya Modi (‘25).
Med Occs not only teaches students about medical applications but also life skills that prepare them for their future in medicine.
“[The course has] made me realize that I do want to pursue a medical career. Even if [my current site] is not the field I will go into, it has given me a lot of skills. I think will be helpful in my professional life later on,” said Shah.