A new collaboration between the CISSS des Laurentides and École secondaire des Patriotes is giving students a firsthand look at the realities of working in Quebec’s health-care system.
On April 24, students in Secondary 4 and 5 visited Hôpital de Saint-Eustache as part of a pilot initiative titled Visite ton avenir en santé : journée découverte des métiers. The project was organized jointly by the CISSS des Laurentides and the Centre de services scolaire des Mille-Îles to introduce young people to careers in the health and social services network.
The students, accompanied by guidance counsellors and CISSS representatives, began the day with a presentation by Dr. Jessica Perreault-Bishop, Director of Medical Education at the CISSS des Laurentides. She spoke about her academic background and professional journey, offering students insight into the educational pathways and personal commitment required in the medical field.
Following the presentation, students toured several departments within the hospital, including emergency services, nuclear medicine, pharmacy, food services and rehabilitation. During the visit, they met and spoke with a range of health-care professionals, including respiratory therapists and nursing staff, learning directly about the daily realities and challenges of frontline work.
Alain Laplante, principal of École secondaire des Patriotes, praised the collaborative effort behind the project and highlighted the contributions of guidance counsellor Marc Bastien and CSSMI counsellor Cathy Forget. According to Laplante, the initiative gave students a practical opportunity to explore health-care professions while helping them reflect more seriously on their future career choices.
Julie Delaney, President and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, also emphasized the importance of opening hospital doors to younger generations at a time when the province continues to face staffing shortages in several sectors of the health-care network. She stated that introducing students to these professions early can help build long-term interest in the field while strengthening connections between schools and the public health system.
Across Quebec, health-care institutions have increasingly sought new ways to encourage recruitment and retention, particularly in nursing, respiratory therapy and specialized technical fields. Programs such as this one reflect a growing recognition that career exploration at the secondary-school level can play an important role in developing the next generation of workers.
For many of the participating students, the visit provided more than just information. It offered an opportunity to see the human side of health care, from emergency response to rehabilitation services, and to better understand the teamwork required to keep a modern hospital functioning.
Organizers say the pilot project may serve as a model for future partnerships between schools and health institutions in the Laurentians region.
