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A unique student volunteer program at the MUHC allows young volunteers — aged 14 years and older — to learn new skills and to explore different career options in the health sector, as well as volunteer in different areas of the hospital, such as geriatrics, dialysis and radiology. The program provides skill-building lectures on issues such as leadership, effective communications, dealing with loss, managing stress, and the history of health care. Additionally, MUHC professionals from a variety of disciplines, including Surgery, Radiology, Nursing Research, Medicine and Physiotherapy, share their expertise through career path orientation sessions.

Nevine Fateen, Manager of Volunteer Services for the MUHC adult sites, explains: "The MUHC is not only a teaching hospital, it is a hospital that believes in investing in its community, especially in its youth. We have often created opportunities for the community to come through our doors to tour the hospital and meet our staff. STEP is a unique program that allows young volunteers to further explore what we do at the MUHC and to get involved in helping the community."

This year there are 74 students in the program: 60 new students have enrolled in STEP 1 and 14 returning students from 2004 have gone on to STEP 2. This second level of the program gives students the opportunity to create and manage a volunteer program as a team. The students are currently working on two different projects. One involves working with Information Services to create skits that will be presented to the MUHC staff on confidentiality issues, and another series of skits that will be presented to young patients in the Child and Adolescent Centre at the Allan Memorial Institute on issues important to children between the ages of seven and ten — such as bullying.

The other project developed by the student volunteers is a video of presentations given by the MUHC professionals to STEP 1 students. This video will be used as either career information or promotional material in various schools. "Those who graduate from STEP 2 and are interested in STEP 3 will have the opportunity to help us put together a conference on leadership and volunteerism for young Montrealers," says Ms. Fateen. "In essence, the MUHC is helping our young volunteers to evolve into leaders themselves."

"From volunteering in the hospital, I have learned many different things pertaining to confidentiality, responsibility and dealing with different types of people as well as different types of problems. All in all, joining the STEP program was an excellent choice for me to make, it has really helped me to learn what health care is all about as well as become a more independent and responsible individual," says David Zhang, a student in STEP 2.

STEP (Student Training and Education Program), now in its second year, is coordinated by the MUHC Volunteer Department adult sites and sponsored by Pfizer.