MORRISTOWN -- Macy Vanarnam of Morristown recently “matched” into an obstetrics and gynecology residency at Abington-Jefferson Health in Abington, Penn.

“The Allied Health program was great because it let me shadow in the health care field and really solidified my desire to become a physician, specifically an OBGYN. I was shadowing in the Claxton-Hepburn operating room when I saw my first caesarian section with Dr. Andrew Ogden and from that moment on, I have never wavered in my desire and drive to be an OBGYN,” said Vanaram.

“Allied health was also instrumental in building relationships that I could tap into down the line. I came back and did an internship with Dr. Ogden after my junior year in college, which helped me get into medical school in the first place. Then, as a third year medical student, I came back to Claxton Hepburn again to complete my surgery clerkship with Dr. Chris Brandy, Dr. Noah Zuker, and Dr. Kiri Brandy. The relationships I built during Allied Health made a lot of that possible.”

“The important thing for me was experiencing a new style of learning and getting out of your comfort zone. Growing up in the North Country, you usually go to school with the same people from kindergarten until graduation. It is so important to try new things. Meet new people. Expand your horizons. There is a great big world out there for you to explore. Going to BOCES for your last year or two of high school is a very small step toward getting comfortable with that,” Vanarnam said.

The allied health program is open to seniors interested in a health career. Students in the program explore a variety of health occupations on site at local hospitals and other health facilities.

Students develop competencies in a wide range of careers within the health field, according to a press release from BOCES.

Dual enrollment for college credit is offered through North Country Community College.

The BOCES Allied Health program is offered at the technical education centers located in Ogdensburg, Norwood, and Fowler.

For more information about St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, please visit www.sllboces.org.