Madison-Oneida BOCES

The BOCES Allied Health Program is a one-year program that places high school seniors in highly challenging work environments at Oneida Healthcare Center and Rome Memorial Hospital. Through observation and hands-on skills training, students receive a first-hand, comprehensive overview of the healthcare field. According to Susan Garrett, Instructor... for the Allied Health Program, students learn about healthcare in an environment that mimics a college or post-college atmosphere. "The program aims to give students an insider's understanding of the medical field. The company really intimidate them, but these kids have persevered and their hard work has clearly paid off," Garrett said. This year's students engaged themselves in a number of challenging activities, including performing echocardiograms on one another and observing doctors while they perform surgery. They laud the program for the first-hand experience it gives them at such a young age. "Allied Health has opened my eyes to so many different medical specialties and fields," said Julianna Dainotto, a Rome Catholic High School senior. She did her final presentation on lupus, an auto-immune disease where the body attacks its own cells. Dainotto will be attending the University of Rochester this fall as a pre-medical student. Stockbridge senior Cory Brummer said he enjoyed the rigor of the Allied Health Program because it prepared him for work at the post-secondary level. "Classroom work is more like college-level assignments. For instance, we're required to read an entire book and develop a well-written essay using MLA guidelines, all while meeting required deadlines. It really gives you a leg up on college," Brummer said. He will attend D'Youville College in the fall and will also be following the pre-med track. Below is a listing of this year's Allied Health students and their post-secondary education plans, as well as their final presentation topic this year.Read More