Irasburg student attending UVM summer academy thanks to North Country Hospital donor

IRASBURG — Emily Klar of Irasburg is off to an intense summer academy at the University of Vermont this month, thanks to a North Country Hospital scholarship.

This innovative program for students who have completed 10th, 11th or 12th grade offers an academically challenging program through active learning in labs, lectures, demonstrations and hospital visits.

Klar will learn in the University of Vermont College of Medicine academic facilities including the Clinical Simulation Laboratory where she will perform virtual medical procedures.

The program helps students discover their interests, learn about the latest advances in bioscience and molecular medicine, and develop an understanding of diverse medical and health science career paths that might be right for them.

“I developed an interest in orthopedic surgery after my own health experiences,” Klar said when asked why she wanted to give up a good part of her summer to do this. “Previously I had not had much of an interest in medicine, but going through the process associated with diagnosing and treating my compartment syndrome, I learned a lot more about the field.”

An anonymous donor to North Country Hospital turned this into a reality for Klar, and she says she is grateful for this opportunity to get a jumpstart in her area of interest.

“Over the years, North Country Hospital has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship support and has hosted internships, clinical rotations, and job shadowing programs for hundreds of students pursuing healthcare careers,” Claudio Fort, Hospital president said. “These investments in our local youth have paid significant dividends, as many recipients have returned to our community to work as physicians, nurses, and healthcare technologists.  Emily Klar is an impressive, hardworking, and intelligent young woman and we are privileged to help her achieve her goal of pursuing a career in medicine.”

Klar will live on campus for two weeks and then complete an online component, resulting in her receiving three UVM college credits. She will get to experience what college life is like and get a head start on her higher education.

“This academy will reinforce my goal of ultimately becoming an orthopedic surgeon,” she said. “As an athlete and overcoming an injury, I want to be able to empathize with my patients and understand what they’re going through so I can better serve them.”