WVU Medicine MedEd opens real-world healthcare career opportunities for local students

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Before Bree Mayor even graduated high school, she had already stepped into an operating room to watch open-heart surgery. Today, Mayor is a nursing student at West Virginia University and a medical assistant at WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, a career path she credits to WVU Medicine's MedEd program. 

“I wouldn’t be a medical assistant if it wasn’t for this,” Mayor said. “You’re fully hands-on. It helps you talk to people. You learn a lot about empathy. It’s just an amazing opportunity that I had.” 

MedEd, a partnership between WVU Medicine and Monongalia County Schools, gives students a fast track to a career in the healthcare industry by offering hands-on training, industry certifications, and paid work opportunities while they are still in high school.  

Mayor, a member of MedEd’s 2025 inaugural graduation class from University High School, and her peers have helped inspire future students, including Mayla Davis from Morgantown High School, who will join MedEd as a junior this fall.  

Davis decided to apply for the program after hearing a presentation by MedEd students in her health class. She felt her own calling to be a nurse by taking care of both her parents, who have chronic illnesses. 

“The whole situation with my parents was just a wake-up call for how I want to be in the medical field,” Davis said. “I’m really excited about the clinical part of it and getting hands-on experience.” 

The program is a mixture of classroom-based learning at the students’ high schools and on-site learning at a local WVU Medicine hospital or clinic. The upcoming fall class is made up of 40 juniors and approximately 40 seniors from Morgantown and University high schools, who will receive training in specialized clinical pathways such as ambulatory care, phlebotomy, and sterile processing.  

According to Jillian Piercy, MedEd program coordinator, the hands-on clinical aspect of the program is what sets it apart from others.  

“It’s a wonderful program, and it really opens the door for these kids to find out what they want to be,” Piercy said. “They get clinical time starting off right away in October of that first year, so they are able to have hands-on experience, walk around with somebody who’s to perform in that setting, and really get that first look at the healthcare field to see if that’s what they want to do with their future career.” 

While Mayor takes the next steps toward her long-term goal of becoming a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, Davis, who comes from a family of healthcare professionals, is just beginning her journey down a similar path. 

“The goal is to continue to employ our students with WVU Medicine and healthcare throughout the state,” Piercy said, noting that many MedEd graduates are either now working for WVU Medicine or in college pursuing a healthcare career. “They have very big goals, and I love that these are the kind of kids who want to be working for WVU Medicine.” 

Piercy added that the program is well-suited for students from all backgrounds, as it removes all financial barriers by offering fully funded certifications, free scrubs, and school bus transportation to hospital sites.  

While student success remains the program’s objective, MedEd is also celebrating statewide recognition. The West Virginia Education Alliance recently named it one of eight regional winners in the statewide 2026 Hope for the Future: West Virginia School-Business Partnership of the Year Awards. 

Along with WVU Hospitals, WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg also participates in the MedEd program, serving students from Hedgesville, Martinsburg, Musselman, and Spring Mills high schools in Berkeley County. 

For more information about WVU Medicine MedEd, visit WVUMedicine.org/MedEd.