From classroom to clinic: high school co-op students gain hands-on healthcare experience at St. Joe’s

Adam Prieur, Academic Operations Coordinator, looking directly at the camera

Not many people can say that as teenagers, they helped a group of healthcare professionals learn more about a new technology with the potential to innovate surgical care. Adam Prieur, academic operations coordinator at St. Joe’s, was able to add this feat to his resume while he was in high school. 

As a grade 11 student Adam made a presentation on the da Vinci Robot to leadership and physicians from St. Joe’s Centre for Minimal Access Surgery (CMAS), years before St. Joe’s purchased one of the surgical robots in 2011 through a donation from the Boris Family. 

“It was my first time doing a presentation outside of a classroom, for anyone other than my classmates and teachers. The hospital was exploring the possibilities of robotic surgery, and I was asked to look into this new robot and how it could help our patients,” says Adam. 

This presentation was part of a high school co-op placement Adam completed at St. Joe’s before eventually returning to the hospital as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Educator. Over a semester, Adam was able to learn more about research, clinical and administrative roles in healthcare, while he spent time in the CMAS and the outpatient GI Motility Lab. 

“I was interested in a career in healthcare, but I had no idea what that would involve. The co-op placement pulled back the curtain for me. I saw how all staff in various roles, ranging from direct patient care to behind the scenes, contribute in their own way to the hospital ecosystem.”

Adam Prieur, Academic Operations Coordinator, looking directly at the camera
Pictured above: Adam Prieur completed a high-school co-op placement in St. Joe’s Centre for Minimal Access Surgery (CMAS) and outpatient GI Motility Lab, and is now an Academic Operations Coordinator at St. Joe’s. 

For high school students looking to gain real-world, hands-on experience, a co-op placement allows them to go beyond the classroom and see first-hand what it’s like to work in a hospital. 

Heather McConnell, coordinator in the Department of Education & Learning, leads the high school co-op program at St. Joe’s. She works with managers in a variety of areas across the hospital to identify placement opportunities for students in clinical, administrative and other non-clinical areas. The Department of Education & Learning’s goals are to support students, projects and assignments that provide valuable learning experiences. The program is designed for Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board and the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board grade 11 and 12 students who are taking the co-op program at their high school.

“Each student’s experience varies based on the type of role they are interested in exploring. If they complete a placement in a clinical area, they may shadow nurses, allied health professionals and technicians, and help with patient care duties, such as mealtime assistance,” explains Heather. “We also have students who complete placements in non-clinical areas including Security Services, Finance, Building Services and Digital Solutions.”

Heather McConnell, Coordinator in Volunteer Resources, looking directly at the camera
Pictured above: Heather McConnell, Coordinator in Volunteer Resources, leads the high school co-op program at St. Joe’s. 

The Department of Education & Learning has been working on growing the program after it was paused for a year during the pandemic, and later, increased staffing and capacity challenges made it difficult to take on more students. St. Joe’s Department of Education & Learning now receives approximately 100-125 applications a year from students interested in a co-op placement and the number of placements we can offer is increasing. 

These placements are an important part of St. Joe’s commitment to Learning initiatives of the Strategic Plan, benefiting the students in our community, as well as our healthcare workers. 

“Students who complete co-op placements have the unique opportunity to explore career options, gain new skills and build relationships that will help them as they complete their secondary education,” says Heather. “The placements also allow staff to gain teaching experience they may not have otherwise had. I’ve heard from managers that their teams appreciate co-op students’ fresh ideas and energy.” 

In his current role as academic operations coordinator in St. Joe’s Department of Education & Learning, Adam works on developing St. Joe’s education strategy to ensure learners get the same valuable experience he did as a student. 

“At St. Joe’s we do our best to make students and learners at all levels feel welcome here and get as much out of placements as possible,” says Adam. “My time as a student influenced my decision to pursue jobs in different areas of healthcare, and eventually led me back to St. Joe’s. It’s important that young people in our community can get exposure to the industry and gain experiences that are the building blocks of a future career in healthcare.”