Science & Healthcare Academy
Mount Mercy Academy offers a unique career internship program for students to experience different professions first hand. Students will have the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field of their choice as well as have exposure to many other careers.
SPCA Collaboration
Mount Mercy Academy has partnered with the SPCA Serving Erie County to inspire young women to pursue careers in the veterinary, technology, marketing, education and fostering fields.
In fact, Mount Mercy Academy is the first high school in Erie County to partner with the SPCA in a four-year academic program.
With the contraints of privacy acts set in place by HIPPA after the pandemic, Mercy's connection with the SPCA allows students to continue to have a hands on experience with universal nursing techinques such as: blood draws, administering medicine, measuring doses, and even witnessing live surgeries.
Catholic Health
Science and Healthcare Academy Students have the ablity to attend various field trips, gaining first-hand knowledge of careers in health care, such as visits to Mercy Flight.
Environmental Science Immersion
A new addition to the Science and Healthcare academy is their collaboration with Alumnae, Erin Holko, a beekeeper from Masterson's Garden Center in East Aurora.
Students now have the opportunity to explore environmental science while learning about the importance of bees in the ecosystem as they interact with live bee colonies in protective bee suits, constructing hives, replacing combs and learning how to collect and package hive products.
The McGuire Group
Mount Mercy Academy also has a partnership with The McGuire Group "Living Legends" , a rehabilitation center providing services such as: Bariatric, Cardiac, and Hospice Care.
In addition to Orthopedic and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Science and Healthcare Academy Students have the opportunity to partake in The McGuire gorup's "MASH Camp", interacting and assisting with hands on work in a variety of positions that include nursing, certified nusing assistance, dietary, therapy, social work, human rescources, and the buisness office.
Internships
Senior year, students are required to complete a 30-hour internship in which they explore various aspects of their medical field of choice. Students are known to partake in various programs with different colleges and organizations in the Buffalo area, such as Villa Maria's Occupational and Physical Therapy Programs.
Specifically, students have had internships with D'Youville, Buffalo Medical Group, and the Daemen College Physician Assistant Program.
Professional Guest Instructors
Students in the Science and Healthcare Acadmey can expect several visits from healthcare professionals every year.
Notably, ecocardiograph technician, Amy Gleason, visited to demonstrate and guide Mount Mercy students in conducting their own ultrasounds to create images of of the heart.
Gabrielle Acosta, an ICU nurse at Roswell Park, has also collaborated with Mercy as a guest speaker sharing knowledge about relevant high school courses and her college journey to become an RN.
Most recently, Mercy students prepared baskets for Gabrielle's floor at Roswell Park filled with toiletries, clothing, and art supplies .