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ROANOKE, Virginia. – The Carilion Clinic is working to address the nation’s growing shortage of health care professionals by introducing local high school students to careers in the medical field.

“My grandmother was a nurse and I just love helping people,” says Callie Newbill, a 10th-grader at North Side High School who wants to be a pediatric nurse. “When I heard her stories and how she helped so many people, I wanted to do the same thing.”

Jamriya Hale, an eleventh-grader at Franklin County High School, wants to become a travel nurse or work in the trauma room.

“I enjoy helping people and giving them more days to live,” Hale said.

Emma Ostrander is a senior at Cave Spring High School and dreams of becoming an emergency medical technician.

“Or something like that in the trauma center,” said Ostrander. “So anything that has to do with saving a life.”

These are the future faces of health care in the Roanoke Valley.

This week, a dozen high school students from across Southwest Virginia gained hands-on health care experience at Camp Carilion, learning everything from cardiopulmonary resuscitation to suturing a patient.

“Some people may not know their path until they see it, so it’s very important to get to know it,” says Karri Proctor, Student Services Manager for Visiting Student Affairs/Medical Education at Carilion Clinic.

Proctor said Camp Carilion exposes students to all aspects of healthcare: from the front desk to the front line.

“Anyone who helps save one person, it takes a village,” Proctor said.

The camp comes at a critical time: there is a nationwide shortage of health workers. Forecasts suggest that by 2036, only 44% of the doctors needed will be available in non-metropolitan areas.

“Everyone is understaffed. It’s not just Carilion. Our partners in the community are understaffed as well,” Proctor said. “So if we can find someone who can save lives in any way, we’re grateful.”

“I think that people who work in the medical field and go out every day to help people are like real-life superheroes,” Ostrander said. “They’re actually having a direct impact and literally saving people’s lives. And I think that’s really cool and it’s one of the best jobs you can have.”

These students are trained to become superheroes one day.