Paging Dr. Guerrero… ONE TEEN’S DREAM JOB!

When children are young they often tell their parents what they want to do when they grow up - whether it be a police officer, fire fighter or professional athlete - but it’s usually nothing more than a fleeting dream.
Not for Michelle Guerrero.
Although she told her mother of her dream of becoming a doctor, it was much more than a passing fancy. Since November, Guerrero has been volunteering at Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens in Astoria 20 hours a week. There, she helps in any way possible, from lending a hand to the nurses and doctors in the emergency room to taking care of patients or even witnessing a live surgery.
“When I’m there, time flies,” she said. “I’m busy all the time, helping people out. A lot of patients come in and out. I enjoy it. I have no complaints. It’s a great experience. The staff there is friendly and they tell me about their jobs and how much they love it. It’s encouraged me even more to go into the field.”
Guerrero wanted to spend time at Mount Sinai for quite a while, but school and her extracurricular activities kept getting in the way until she finally made time this fall.
“Since it was my senior year, I had time and I wanted to get involved,” she said. “I had very big expectations and so far they’ve all been met.”
Guerrero, 17, an honor student at St. John’s Preparatory school in Astoria who is taking advanced placement courses in biology, European history and pre-calculus, has always been interested in science, and the field of medicine seems to be a natural fit. “Since I was little, I really liked medicine,” she said. “I’ve always dreamt of being a doctor. I like watching science shows and learning about the human body. And I would like a job where I can help people.”
Guerrero says she isn’t sure exactly what field appeals to her - any kind of a surgeon would be fine, she said - but it will be in some form of studying medicine. Much of her interest comes from her uncle Fernando Ordenana, a surgeon in Ecuador. “We’re always discussing his job and watching shows on surgery at home,” Guerrero said.
“She talks with him so much on the phone,” Guerrero’s mother, Rosa, said. “She’s always admired him.”
Guerrero understands she will be entering a highly competitive and challenging field, but it is one she will not shy away from. “[Being a doctor] will require lot of patience and a lot of dedication,” she said. “I’ve talked to many doctors and they tell me it’s very hard to get through it all. But if you dedicate yourself, it’s very worthwhile. I’m positive studying medicine is what I want to do.”
The Astoria resident, however, is more than a science enthusiast. She’s an honor student with a 95 average and scored an 1140 on her SATs. She’s played two years of soccer and another season of tennis for her school, and is also a singer in her school’s jazz rock band, takes guitar lessons, and writes for the school paper, where she wrote a story on her classmate, Dominic Hardatt, a member of the National Honor Society.
In addition to her time at Mount Sinai, Guerrero is involved in her school’s community service program, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which makes trips to local children’s hospitals and soup kitchens.
“She’s a great asset to the school, not only academically but with her volunteer work,” Guerrero guidance counselor, Charles Gilley, said. “She’s one of those girls that is very quiet but has great inner strength. I know she’s a very determined young woman.”