Summer camps usually mean sports, crafts, language classes, or maybe a few days away from home. But for a group of high school students this summer, the holiday itinerary looked a little different — less sightseeing, more surgery robots; fewer classroom lectures, more real hospital experiences.

As career planning starts earlier, more families are looking for ways for students to explore different industries before making big decisions about their future. For students interested in medicine, getting a closer look at what doctors actually do can be far more valuable than simply reading about it in textbooks.

This summer, Parkway Shanghai, part of IHH Healthcare's international network across Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, hosted two sessions of its Summer Medical Exchange Program, welcoming students aged 15 to 18 from countries and regions including the United States, Canada, Singapore, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

Over eight to nine days, students followed two medical exploration routes — Shanghai to Hong Kong and Shanghai to Singapore — stepping inside hospitals, meeting healthcare professionals, and experiencing different sides of modern medicine.

Forget Textbooks: The Hospital Became the Classroom

At Parkway Shanghai Hospital, students got a close-up look at orthopedic technology through a training session featuring a synthetic lower-limb skeleton, a digital surgical planning system, and a MAKO robotic system.

Standing around the robotic equipment, students watched instructors demonstrate how surgical procedures are planned and carried out, getting their first look at how artificial intelligence and robotics are becoming part of modern healthcare.

Then came the hands-on part. Under professional guidance, students used synthetic bone models to experience preoperative planning and robotic-assisted bone cutting, learning how the MAKO system helps surgeons perform more precise and personalized joint replacement procedures.

"Before this experience, I thought robotic surgery was something very far away from everyday life. After trying it myself, I realized that robots do not replace surgeons — they help doctors perform procedures with greater precision and safety," said Liu, a Chinese student whose name has been changed.

The experience went beyond robotic surgery. Students also learned practical clinical skills including surgical suturing, ultrasound examination, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), while exploring emerging technologies such as AI-assisted medical imaging.

From holding a needle driver for their first stitches, to practicing CPR on medical training models, to chatting with doctors, nurses, and hospital management teams, students got a much more realistic picture of what working in healthcare actually involves.

"We hope to give students more than medical knowledge — we want them to experience what healthcare is really like," said Dr. Wan Lijun, General Manager of Parkway Shanghai Hospital.

"When students enter hospitals, communicate with healthcare professionals, observe how hospitals operate, and interact with advanced medical equipment, they gain a more complete understanding of what a career in medicine involves."

From Shanghai to Hong Kong and Singapore: Seeing Healthcare Beyond Borders

One of the highlights of the program was the chance to explore different healthcare systems across Asia.

At Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong, students learned about emerging medical technologies and clinical practices, including Histotripsy, a non-invasive cancer treatment technology. They also visited departments including radiology, pharmacy, and emergency care.

Through doctor presentations and case discussions, students explored how technologies such as artificial intelligence and precision medicine are being used in clinical practice, while also learning that medicine is not just about technology — communication between doctors and patients matters too.

In Singapore, students visited Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, and Parkway East Hospital.

The visits covered different specialties, from AI applications in healthcare to laparoscopic surgery, sleep medicine, diagnostic imaging, and proton therapy.

Through hospital tours and conversations with clinical specialists and management teams, students learned more about how different hospitals operate, their specialties, and how healthcare teams work together to provide patient care.

One particularly memorable moment came for 17-year-old Singaporean student Darrel, who returned to Gleneagles Hospital — the place where he was born — and met the obstetrician who had helped deliver him more than a decade earlier.

The reunion gave him a new perspective on what medicine means beyond procedures and technology.

"My parents have always told me the story of the day I was born. This time, I was able to stand in the place where that story began and meet the doctor who helped bring me into the world. It made me realize that medicine is not only about treating illness and saving lives — it is also about being part of people's most important moments."

Students from different countries and regions also exchanged perspectives on healthcare systems, medical education, and cultural backgrounds, adding another layer of international learning to the experience.

More Than a Summer Activity: A First Look at a Future Career

For many families, choosing a future career is a big decision — and sometimes teenagers need more than a simple "I think I like this" before deciding on a path.

"One of the reasons my child wants to study medicine overseas is because she is interested in the field, but as parents, we were not sure whether it was a temporary interest or something she truly wanted to pursue," shared one Shanghai parent.

"Rather than simply telling her that becoming a doctor is challenging, we wanted her to experience the environment herself and understand what the profession is really like."

According to Chloe Li, CEO of Clinic Operations at Parkway Shanghai, the Summer Medical Exchange Program was not designed to teach students advanced medical knowledge ahead of time. Instead, it allows students to understand medicine through real healthcare environments, practical experiences, and conversations with medical professionals.

"Future healthcare professionals need more than professional knowledge. They also need international perspectives, interdisciplinary thinking, and human-centered values," said Li.

Developed by Parkway Shanghai through IHH Healthcare's international network, the program combines clinical exposure, international exchange, career exploration, and cross-cultural learning across Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

By stepping inside real hospitals and experiencing different healthcare environments, students gained a closer look at medicine — and perhaps a clearer idea of whether the doctor's white coat might be part of their own future.

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