Spokane teen gains perspective on future career at national event

Irie Cook, a senior at The Community School of Spokane, recently participated in the Congress of Future Medical Leaders held near Boston.

The event is designed for those considering medical careers and includes three days of presentations from doctors, researchers, veterinarians and others working in the medical field.

Cook said she was surprised to be nominated and knew nothing until a large packet arrived in the mail inviting her to attend the Congress and receive an award for her academic achievement. The Congress was hosted by the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.

“I still don’t know who put me up for nomination,” she said. “It was very sudden.”

Cook spent her junior year enrolled in a pre-nursing program at NEWTech Skills Center, where she learned skills she would need to pass a certified nursing assistant test and worked for 100 hours in clinical settings at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Medical Center and a local retirement home.

She first considered becoming a registered nurse after she toured the Gonzaga University campus and saw the School of Nursing. It made her realize that she could make a career out of helping people the way she had been helped several years ago when she was dealing with a medical issue and spent time in the hospital. She said her nurses always made her feel comfortable and took care of her.

By enrolling in the pre-nursing program at NEWTech, Cook hoped that she would be able to work as a CNA instead of getting a job in a fast food restaurant like many other teenagers.

“That was another thing that motivated me,” she said.

Excited about the possibility of attending the Congress, Cook applied for a scholarship and did some fundraising to get money together to take the trip to Boston.

“We tried to raise among our community and our family,” she said. “I’m just very grateful to all the people who helped send me there. It was a lot of fun.”

Cook appreciated being able to hear and learn from people in all areas of medicine, including Nobel Prize winners.

“It was just really fun getting to hear all those speakers,” she said.

Cook said she learned a lot in the pre-nursing program at NEWTech and has a new respect for health care workers. The program, and specifically the clinical hours she worked, made her realize that becoming a registered nurse might not be for her.

“I don’t know that I could do what they do,” she said. “I realized I really don’t want to go into that field.”

She’s grateful that she could come to that realization now without putting years of time and effort into becoming a nurse.

“It helped me realize that my passion lies in being an instructor,” she said.

Cook considers herself lucky that she was able to figure out her intended career path wasn’t a good fit while she was still in high school. She now plans to pursue becoming a teacher, perhaps becoming an English teacher overseas.