Q&A: Healthcare Career Days
Mary Greeley Healthcare Career Days provide students an opportunity to learn about a range of healthcare occupations through hands-on activities, interactive experiences, and behind-the-scenes tours of our hospital departments. Participants hear directly from healthcare professionals about career paths available now and in the future. Jessica Ormsby, student experience coordinator, explains the program.
Why does Mary Greeley offer these opportunities?
Career Days are designed to educate and inspire students about both clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers. By engaging students at a young age, we aim to make a lasting impact and build a strong future workforce pipeline. In turn, Mary Greeley Medical Center connects with potential future employees—students who are inspired through these experiences are more likely to make decisions academically that relate to their interests and, ultimately, work in healthcare—hopefully at Mary Greeley.
What do students get to experience?
Participants spend a full day immersed in hands-on activities, tours, and insights from a variety of specialties at Mary Greeley, exploring areas such as radiology, mobile intensive care services, the lab, and respiratory therapy. As part of the experience, career day participants can even practice real-world skills—like intubating a patient by working with a model.
Why would students choose to attend?
Many students come in thinking healthcare is limited to nurses and doctors, but this experience opens their eyes to the wide range of specialties available at Mary Greeley. Some arrive set on nursing, but leave inspired to explore other paths, such as pharmacy or working in a wound clinic.
How has the program grown?
Back in 2021, we hosted just one or two events each year.
In 2025, we had 14 career days with 271 students, and 31 educators/visitors participating. We partner with over 15 high schools all over central Iowa and continue to hear from other schools. For the past two years, we have partnered with the DMACC Work-Based Learning Program to bring students from across central Iowa—particularly the Des Moines metro area—to Mary Greeley Medical Center for our High School Healthcare Career Days. Through this collaboration alone, we have hosted 127 students and educators.
What does the future look like with Healthcare Career Days?
While we have primarily focused on high school aged students for our events, we know we have a great opportunity to connect with middle and elementary school age students as well. Our goal is to get them educated and excited and, ideally, impact their future career choices. Obviously, the career days will look a bit different for younger ages, so we can tailor the activities to be age appropriate and still keep their interest. This summer we will have a career day specific to middle school students.
Do you anticipate any other types of camps?
Yes! This summer, we are excited to collaborate with our colleagues to host a Nurse Camp for students entering 9th–12th grade. Just as our Healthcare Career Days align directly with our recruitment strategy to build an early talent pipeline, a nurse specific camp will focus on nurse related roles within healthcare and at Mary Greeley.
These immersive events are proudly supported by the Mary Greeley Foundation.
Coming This Summer:
Middle School Healthcare Career Day
Students entering 6th–8th Grade
Friday, June 26 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Nurse Camp
Students entering 9th–12th Grade
Friday, July 17 | 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
High School Healthcare Career Day
Students entering 9th–12th Grade
Friday, July 31 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Visit www.mgmc.org/careerdays to sign up!
