MEDICAL CAREER DREAMS

By Carolyn Neuhausen, ’08

Access to a 3-D printer and medical classes at the Center fuels sophomore Mason Matsuo’s passion for science, from learning anatomy to robotics. He’s currently practicing his 3-D modeling skills by building a model of the CARLOW Center facilities, including the miniature details of desks and chairs. Once that project wraps, he hopes to help build a robotic limb and hand.

But the learning doesn’t stop at the CARLOW Center's facility. How do students gain medical experience without being a part of real-world medical situations like car wrecks and emergency room admissions? With virtual reality technology, students are exposed to a variety of scenarios in which they can practice their triage and life-saving skills.

Real-world skills also come from working side by side in the field with professionals. The CARLOW Center and Medical Career Pathways program has forged connections with organizations like City of Hope, where a group of students recently enrolled in paid internships to conduct research.

Interest in the Center grew among students even before it was fully built; students were curious as to what Ms. Parga put together this summer and they inquired about participating in the Center’s programs. The CARLOW Center officially opened in October 2022 and La Salle has seen a robust response in interest among the student body.

Ninth grader Noah Leiva can attest to the medical program’s popularity. He wasted no time in turning in his application after a friend mentioned the program was almost full. “One of the reasons I came to La Salle was this new program,” Leiva said. “It’s been a fun journey and extra academic challenge, and a community of people that I’ve connected with,” he finished.

Ms. Parga highlights the growing popularity of the Medical Pathways program at La Salle, noting the uptick in participation in the Pasadena City College (PCC) classes offered to La Salle students. “The PCC dual enrollment classes began in the spring of 2022 and were barely reaching minimum enrollment and now we have a waitlist,” she said.

Both Ms. Parga and President Perry Martin feel the Center and the Medical Pathways program give La Salle, and its students, a huge advantage in the marketplace.

“They’re going to do [in high school] what most kids do in college in their freshman year. We’re offering college classes from PCC which [La Salle students] can take, towards a nursing degree while they’re in our school. I think when they present a skillset from four years here, every single college that has a premed curriculum will want to talk to them,” said Mr. Martin.

Mr. Martin and Ms. Parga foster a more experiential and self-driven style of learning through the Medical Pathways program. While tradiational classes might be taught with a book and students taking tests to demonstrate mastery, the approach at the CARLOW Center is quite different. Students in all grades, in any standing, can participate in the experiential labs and center’s medical coursework because all that is required is a thirst for knowledge. “My goal with learning is someone who wants to learn the material and master it and not (just aimed) at taking a test well. All we care about is that the student is engaged, learning, having fun, anyone can be a part of the program,” Ms. Parga explained.

The Medical Pathways Program is both a structured and semi-free flowing format, allowing students to guide their own learning. They begin by taking Introduction to Health and Medical Terminology courses, and can work toward a certificate of completion by taking other PCC health classes that speak to them. Students also participate in labs three times a week, sometimes choosing their own focus for the lab that day.

President Martin echoes the enthusiasm the students and Ms. Parga have shared about the program and CARLOW Center. “Quite frankly the Medical Pathway and CARLOW Center for Medical Innovation is fun and exciting. The learning is visual and kids don’t want to go home. We’re all looking for a place where work doesn’t feel like work – it’s innovative because we love doing it,” he said.

And when he thinks about the lasting legacy he hopes the CARLOW Center affords La Salle’s students, it’s a jumpstart on professions that merge a sense of service to others with an individual passion for science and health.

“Eventually they turn into wonderful healthcare providers. That’s what we’re all about. All about the future of how to connect students with a life lived that is happy and fulfilled and they’re doing exactly what they want to do with their lives,” he says.