Blog About Us Community Service Kit National Partners Results Tools Scrapbook   • How to Use This Kit • Teaching Service Learning • Order the Film & Companion Book   The Impact of Cancer on Family Life The Impact of Cancer on Siblings How to Help Your Buddy Doctors & Nurses THE SERVICE LEARNING PROCESS: • Preparation • Community Service • Reflection • Celebration JOB SHADOWING: Learn about Careers in Medicine written by Christy Clawson SERVICE PROJECT OVERVIEW Many young people consider a future career in the field of medicine, as a doctor or nurse or in some other related capacity. These types of careers offer many rewards, not only to the working individual, but also to larger society. Caring medical professionals impact many lives, as can be seen in the film clip. One way that students can gain a better understanding of what such a career would entail is through the practice of job shadowing. SUBJECTS Health 7th - 12th grade Language Arts Life Work Self-Regulation Working with Others Note to Teachers: The unit is geared towards middle school and high school students. Check with the resources at your local hospital to determine age specifications. NATIONAL STANDARDS1 Language Arts   1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes   Working with Others   1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills   Life Work   4. Studies or pursues specific job interests 5. Makes general preparation for entering the work force   Self-Regulation   2. Performs self-appraisal UNIT OBJECTIVES Students will learn about the process of job shadowing. Students will learn about a typical day in the life of a medical professional. Students will view the film to learn about the impact of health professionals on the lives of families experiencing pediatric cancer. Students will research a medical career of their choosing and present their findings to the larger study group. Students will reflect on their growth in understanding of various issues relating to a career in medicine. Students will incorporate their learning about the job shadowing experience into a format that can be shared with others who are interested in medical careers. ASSESSMENTS Students can be assessed on a variety of tasks within the framework of this lesson. Possibilities include: informal writing such as journals, essays, reflections, poetry, research reports, oral presentations, and group work. In addition, a rubric is provided to assist leaders and students in assessing the overall project.   RESOURCES Careers in Medicine. An established program for helping med students self assess their dispositions, and choose their specialty area. Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital. This website has job shadowing resources that include HIPAA information. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Information about the job shadowing program at CCHMC. LESSONS CONTAINED IN THIS UNIT: 1 - OVERVIEW OF THE FILM PROJECT AND PURPOSE 2 - RESEARCH CAREERS IN MEDICINE 3 - LEARN ABOUT JOB SHADOWING 4 - JOB SHADOWING EVENT 5 - COMMUNITY SERVICE> SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS LESSON 1: OVERVIEW FILM PROJECT AND PURPOSE Note to teachers: Students may be interested in learning about how the film was made before viewing the film clip. See A Lion in the House website for information. Please review the suggested Discussion Questions (PDF) prior to the group viewing. You may need to adjust the questions qccording to the unique make-up of your group. For most active viewing of the material, please engage your students in both pre-viewing and post-viewing discussions. NATIONAL STANDARDS   Language Arts   1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will view the “Doctors and Nurses” film clip Students will participate in a class discussion Students will write a response to the film and discussion on an exit card MATERIALS Computer with web access Viewing equipment (Television and DVD player) Handout, Discussion Questions (PDF) PROCEDURE   1. Provide an overview of the film project to help students build background knowledge. 2. Prepare group for active viewing by leading them in a discussion based on the pre-viewing questions. 3. View the “Doctors and Nurses” film clip. After viewing, engage class in a conversation with the Discussion Questions. 4. Exit Card: Ask students to write a repsonse to the film and discussion on an index card at the end of class. ASSESSMENTS Class participation of Discussion Questions Exit card Back to Lessons LESSON 2: RESEARCH CAREERS IN MEDICINE Note to teachers or leaders: As part of your preparation for guiding students through this lesson, research available resources such as print, Internet, or potential expert speakers that students can use to conduct a personal inquiry in the medical field of their choosing. Students will be surprised to learn of the wide variety of job opportunities related to the medical field. Encourage your students to explore a variety of options during this research phase. One of the goals for this lesson is to broaden students’ knowledge about the variety of careers related to the medical field. NATIONAL STANDARDS1 Language Arts 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will research a medical career of their choosing. Students will write a research paper about their career of choice. Students will present their findings to the larger study group. MATERIALS Computers with Internet access Websites and any print resources about careers in health fields Writing tools PROCEDURE   1. Start a class discussion of the many careers within the health care industry. Create a list of the careers and assist students in selecting a career of interest to them as the focus of their individual research papers. 2. Discuss with your students the purpose of a research paper. Students can use a variety of research techniques to gather their information. Encourage students to use Internet, print and even interviews where possible. 3. After gathering information, students can follow through the phases of the writing process to write a formal research paper about the career of their choosing. 4. Ask students to present their research findings about their career choice to the class. Students may want to prepare a visual aid to use during their presentation.   ASSESSMENTS Students can be assessed in all the steps of the research paper, from collecting information, preparing index cards, using the writing process, preparing a visual aid and presenting the information to the class. Back to Lessons LESSON 3: LEARN ABOUT JOB SHADOWING Note to teachers/leaders: As part of your preparation for guiding students through this lesson, research available job shadowing opportunities in your community. Most students will want to stick with established programs. Some students, however, may decide to devise their own job shadowing experience if they are interested in a particular area or have a medical field contact to use as a resource. NATIONAL STANDARDS1   Language Arts 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will work with a partner or in groups to come up with a definition of job shadowing. Students will be able to explain the purpose of job shadowing. Students will learn about the available job shadowing opportunities in their area. Students will evaluate their interest level and determine whether job shadowing is something they would like to try. Students will investigate opportunities for job shadowing. Students will select the best job shadowing opportunity to meet their needs and arrange for the job shadowing event. MATERIALS Computer with Internet access Writing tools and paper Print resources – check with your local librarian to obtain a text set of resources related to careers in medicine Websites related to job shadowing (see resources section) PROCEDURE   1. Ask your students to think of ways they could find out more about their future professions. Discuss each idea that students generate and decide whether that would be a workable solution. Talk about the kinds of learning the ideas would provide to the interested student. Introduce the concept of job shadowing as an additional way to learn about a career. 2. Give students time to learn about various job shadowing opportunities in your area (based on resources you have previously gathered, as well as any resources they may find on their own). Ask students to choose the areas they are most interested in learning more about. 3. Ask students to evaluate, based on what they have learned, whether job shadowing is something they would like to try. Ask students to write about what they would expect to learn through job shadowing. Part of the learning will be for students to compare their prior knowledge about the career and their expectations about their job shadowing experience to the reality they encounter after going through the experience. Encourage students to take time to really consider and journal about this topic. 4. Interested students could brainstorm lists of possible contacts for job shadowing opportunities. Check with your local children’s hospital where systems may be in place for a job shadowing opportunity. 5. Help students develop a step by step plan for their own job shadowing experience. If students are using a pre-existing program, help them arrange contacts, confirm dates and complete required forms. Students may need assistance in scheduling the experience. Ask students to plan for: Scheduling Transportation Proper attire Forms to be completed Appropriate attitude and behavior Reliability Being prepared 6. Ask students to maintain a portfolio containing their plans and copies of any other pertinent paperwork.   ASSESSMENTS Student portfolios containing the information they have gathered about job shadowing and their personal plan for implementing a job shadowing experience. EXTENSIONS Invite various health professionals into the classroom to share the kinds of things they would expect to learn and experience during a job shadowing event. Back to Lessons LESSON 4: JOB SHADOWING Note to teachers/leaders: Your students have now done their research into the health care career of interest to them and identified their job shadowing opportunity. They are ready to begin their job shadowing experience. Your students may find that their experiences were not quite what they expected and may return to class with a much clearer idea of the responsibilities and patient interactions involved in careers in health care. NATIONAL STANDARDS   Language Arts 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes   Life Work 4. Studies or pursues specific job interests 5. Makes general preparation for entering the work force Self-Regulation 2. Performs self-appraisal Working with Others 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will carry out their personal job shadowing plan. Students will conduct a self-assessment of their experience based on their personal plan. MATERIALS Computer with Internet access Forms required by the job shadowing venue Writing tools and paper PROCEDURE   1. Review with students the objectives of their job shadowing experience. Be sure to stress the importance of close observation of the health care professional they will be shadowing without interfering with the interaction between the patient and the health care professional.   2. When students return to class after the job shadowing experience, initiate a class discussion that includes the following: How was their experience similar to what they expected? How was their experience different than they expected? How much of the professional’s time was spent directly with patients and how much was spent in other activities? What was the most difficult or stressful part of the professional’s job? What was the most rewarding part of the professional’s job? 3. Ask students to write thank you notes to the health care professional they shadowed.   ASSESSMENT Student self-assessment of their experience based on their participation and commitment to the learning experience. Back to Lessons LESSON 5: COMMUNITY SERVICE > SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHERS Note to teachers/leaders: Now that your students have seen the realities of being a health care professional, it’s time to put their learning to use in the community. In this final lesson, your students will compile their collective research and experiences into a journal that other young people can use as a guide to begin their own exploration of careers in the health care industry. NATIONAL STANDARDS1   Language Arts 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes Life Work 4. Studies or pursues specific job interests 5. Makes general preparation for entering the work force Self-Regulation 2. Performs self-appraisal   Working with Others 1. Contributes to the overall effort of a group 3. Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations 4. Displays effective interpersonal communication skills LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will reflect on their growth in understanding of various issues relating to a career in medicine. Students will incorporate their learning about the job shadowing experience into a format that can be shared with others who are interested in medical careers. PROCEDURE 1. Explain that an important step in career preparation is learning about oneself. To help students with this process, they will create a journal of their job shadowing experience. Students will be asked to write and/or illustrate their journal before and after the job shadowing experience to assess their learning and growth. Some students may choose alternate formats for their journal, such as photographs, artwork, video, etc. The purpose is to create a self-assessment and reflective piece that can be shared with others. 2. Ask students to write a journal response for the following topics. When appropriate, students should create a response before and after the experience. What makes a career in medicine satisfying? Discuss extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Identify and discuss your personal strengths and weaknesses in the areas of academic preparation, discipline, people-skills, dealing with stressful situations, coping with unsuccessful situations. 3. Help students arrange an opportunity for sharing their journal with others who are interested in job shadowing. EXTENSIONS Students could create a video or website to develop their self-assessment in an alternate format. Discuss options with your class. If appropriate, invite guest speakers or experts to help teach the formats your students want to employ. ASSESSMENTS The journal developed by each student will be the primary assessment tool. Back to Lessons UNIT REFLECTION What part of this service project did you find was most difficult? Most satisfying? Most challenging? Do you feel that you have a better understanding of the daily responsibilities and patient interactions involved in a career in health care? Has this experience made you think about a career in health care or social services? Think about a resource you can create featuring the things you learned during your job shadowing experience. Think about questions that members of the community might ask and how you might answer them. Do you think that more teens would be motivated to consider a career in the health care industry if they had an opportunity to participate in job shadowing? 1 Standards from Mid-Continent Research for Educational Learning (McREL) at http://www.mcrel.org/     A Lion in the House is a co-production of Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Executive Producer Sally Jo Fifer.            blog About Us community service kit national partners results tools scrapbook            Website hosted by DONET.COM                     © 2007, A Lion in the House, LLC.