Local students explore healthcare careers at Kaiser Permanente’s Maui Lani Clinic

Fifty-eight students from across Maui County — including three from Molokaʻi — spent the morning of Nov. 15 exploring healthcare careers at Kaiser Permanente’s Maui Lani clinic. The hands-on event, organized by Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks program, connected students with medical professionals across multiple specialties.

“With healthcare comprising over 10% of Maui County’s employment, MEDB is committed to supporting the growth of our local healthcare workforce, identified as a top priority by the Maui County Healthcare Partnership,” said Ila Ferris, MEDB’s healthcare program manager. “We’re so grateful for our continuing collaboration with Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi to introduce students to the many career pathways available so they can thrive locally and contribute to the well-being of their community.”   

Students rotated through five medical specialties — primary care, physical therapy, pharmacy, wound care and phlebotomy — participating in activities led by Kaiser Permanente clinicians.

They practiced skills like taking vital signs using a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and drawing blood from a realistic silicone arm. At the physical and occupational therapy station, participants learned about human anatomy and exercises for recovering from sports injuries in Kaiser Permanente’s on-site gym. Students enjoyed a Jeopardy-style game to test their pharmacy knowledge, and providers at the wound care station used fruits to demonstrate what wounds look and feel like during the healing process.

Students had a chance to reflect on their own interests and possible career pathways after hearing about the experiences of the healthcare professionals involved in running the event.

“I learned about being an internal medicine doctor and how there are many specialties you can branch off into,” said Maui High School senior Jasmyn Yun.  

Kody Manegdeg, a senior at King Kekaulike High School, appreciated the hands-on approach. “I really loved being able to get hands on and being able to talk with professionals in the medical field…for the short amount of time we had, I think it was really good,” he said. “There’s way more to the medical field than just nurses and doctors.”

Dr. Chris Martin, associate area medical director on Maui for Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi, said early exposure is essential to developing local healthcare professionals.

“Building a strong physician and clinician pipeline for Maui starts long before college or medical school; it starts with exposure, encouragement and opportunity,” he said. “These career exploration days are another step toward ensuring our Valley Isle students see a place for themselves in the healthcare workforce.”