Youth Medical Mentorship expands to Broken Arrow High School with hands-on training

Youth Medical Mentorship connects Oklahoma teens with health care careers—now live at 19 schools, including Broken Arrow High. Get details on this hands-on learning opportunity.

Wednesday, September 10th 2025, 6:41 am

By: Jayden Brannon

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. -

A new student club at Broken Arrow High School is giving teenagers the chance to explore careers in medicine. The program, called Youth Medical Mentorship, connects students with health care professionals and provides hands-on training designed to spark interest in the field.

The club launched at Union High School in 2023 and has since expanded to 19 school campuses across the state. Organizers say the program is designed to highlight untapped potential in Oklahoma and encourage more young people to consider health care as a future career.

Bringing medicine into the classroom

Founder Dr. Christopher McNeil said the program gives students an inside look at what physicians and nurses do daily.

“So one of the, I think the coolest things about what we do is being able to take some of the life that you see for some of our physicians and nurses in training, take a snippet of what they do and bring it to life inside of a school,” McNeil said. “So, the students are learning some of the skills that not only are going to change lives in a clinical setting, but also things that they can practice and build dexterity for at an early age.”

Why it matters for Oklahoma

Organizers say the mentorship is not just about exposure — it is also an investment in the state’s workforce.

“When a student says man I think I want to be interested in health care, the next thing is bring YMM to the table so we can help,” McNeil said. “So every step of the way is a critical investment, from high school, to middle school, to college, to post graduate and where we put that investment to keep students at home.”

First meeting draws strong interest

The first meeting at Broken Arrow took place this week, drawing at least 80 students. The club plans to hold monthly sessions through the school year.

How to get involved

The Youth Medical Mentorship program is open to all Broken Arrow High School students. You can learn more about the program at YouthMedicalMentorship.com.