High school senior looks ahead to medical career

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Coronavirus motivates local student to look ahead to college and beyond as he eyes career as a surgeon.

Right now the future is uncertain for a lot of high school students. What does graduation look like? Will they be able to attend in-person classes in the fall, or live in the dorms?

But there's one senior at Colorado Springs Christian who's not too concerned about that. All he wants to do is get working in his chosen field so he can start helping people.

Joel Hill spent last summer at a Harvard Medical School camp. He's also been accepted into UC Health's Junior Medical Program at Memorial Central hospital in Colorado Springs. And he plans to study biology at UCCS in the fall. Joel's wanted to be a transplant surgeon for years, and now with the coronavirus crisis, he's eager to get his white coat.

"It has really been kind of frustrating because I wish I could be out there helping," says Hill. "I believe in some places like New York they let some medical students become doctors early just to help out and I think that's great. If anything I think it's made me more passionate about wishing I could get out there and help people like our amazing medical community has been doing these last few weeks."

Joel's sister is a nurse in Washington. He says work for her has been challenging, but she's getting through it.

For now, Joel is trying to finish his senior year strong, and hopes to get back to shadowing a local surgeon this summer before he starts undergrad.

Joel is also staying busy making Covid19 care packages for patients at Penrose Hospital.