ALABASTER – As part of the Boy Scouts of America Explorers program, male and female high school students from all over the county toured the operating room and the heart catheterization program and took a look at the LifeSaver helicopter at the Shelby Baptist Medical Center during the evening of Thursday, April 5.

According to Shelby Baptist Chief Strategy Officer Cristine Ferguson, the tours offer students a glimpse at the different careers associated with the medical field.

“They get a unique inside perspective of two of the aspects of the inner workings of the hospital,” Ferguson said.

“I never know what’s going to happen,” said a respiratory therapist who spoke to the students. “I can come to work, and I don’t know whether I’m having a good day or a bad day.”

Student Aleah Hayes said participation in the Explorers program gave herself and other members a better understanding how careers in the medical profession work.

“It’s a great opportunity. Most people, when they get to college, they get to see what they have to do and no longer want to do it,” Hayes said. “This helps us understand what they’re getting into.”

Ferguson said members of the Explorers program have met once every month since October to tour different areas of the hospital. She said the April 5 tour is the last one until the students “graduate” at a ceremony, where they will receive a certificate of completion.

Additionally, Ferguson said participation in the Explorers program will help students gain valuable work experience and establish ties to the hospital.

“They’re looking for volunteer opportunities and graduation opportunities.”