Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Courtney Fallon '17 isn't 100 percent sure if she's going to go into the medical field.
For one day, however, to a degree, Courtney was a doctor.
Courtney participated in the Hampden District Medical Society's High School Doctor for a Day Mentoring Program April 13 at Bay State Medical Center.
"I was interested in doing the Doctor for a Day Program because I'm interested in how people think and behave, and people, in general, and how they cope with different things in life," said Courtney, who's considering minoring in psychology in college.
Courtney didn't get placed where she had hoped, but that didn't diminish her experience. She was granted nearly full access to Bay State, including restricted areas.
"I spent the day helping people who had ulcers due to diabetes or heart diseases," she explained. "They had ulcers on their feet because the veins couldn't get blood to their legs, so they ended up getting ulcers or their legs were falling apart.
"The most interesting part was I was able to go around and see the operating rooms, and being in the hospital I learned it wasn't anything like TV shows. I saw people who needed help getting everything, and seeing how doctors talk behind the scenes and asking other people's opinions and doing everything they could for them."
And when the medical experience was over and it was time to recap the day, she continued to learn.
"At the end of the day, we came together for a dinner and we talked about what we saw and thought," she said. "People said they saw an open-heart surgery or a baby being born or a hernia being removed. It was amazing they allowed kids to see this, and the patients were accepting and ready to have people watch and learn."