CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – This summer, rising senior Nicolette Hunter participated in the Health Scholar program at Saint John's Hospitals in Camarillo and Oxnard, where she gained hands-on experience across multiple hospital departments.

As a Health Scholar, Nikki worked in general units including Medical Surgical, Telemetry, and the Acute Care Unit, where she had more direct interaction with patients and was able to support them throughout their healthcare journey. She also spent time in specialized areas such as the Emergency Department, Mother-Infant/Labor and Delivery, and Radiology. Through each department, Nikki was able to observe nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals and see how they work together to provide individualized care.

Nikki was drawn to the program because she wanted to experience healthcare from the viewpoint of the medical care team and healthcare workers. Throughout the summer, she gained a deeper appreciation for people from all walks of life and learned an important lesson about working in healthcare: her most interesting day or complex case could be someone else's worst day of their life. The experience taught her that remaining a steady source of comfort and care is one of the most important parts of being a healthcare professional.

One of Nikki's favorite parts of the experience was getting to witness the wide variety of cases and procedures throughout the hospital. She witnessed her first vaginal birth, including a successful VBAC, as well as CT scans, biopsies, and a wide range of emergency cases. Most rewarding, however, were the relationships she built with patients and their families. Hearing patients and family members tell her how much better their hospital stay was because she was there to help, and becoming a familiar face for patients with longer stays, made the experience especially meaningful. This summer gave Nikki an invaluable look into healthcare and reinforced her passion for providing comfort, care, and support to patients during some of the most important moments of their lives.

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