Sixteen young people participating in this year's Health Science Summer have been trying to determine if they have what it takes to work in one of the most demanding fields.

During the five-day-a-week, five-week program this summer, high school students have been shadowing professionals at Methodist Hospitals Northlake and Southlake campuses to "find out what it takes" to have a career in health care, said Angela Boone, the hospital's manager of corporate training and development.

The program is a cooperative effort between the hospital, local school corporations, the Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center and Indiana University Northwest. In order to participate, students had to fill out applications and have a C+ average.

"It's not just doctors and nurses. It opened my eyes to all of the careers in the medical field," said Chris Boone, a Merrillville High School junior who is considering becoming a cardiologist.

Samantha Allen, a Gary West Side High School junior, said she liked "the hands-on activities" that included experiments in DNA and microbiology.

Carl Scott teaches chemistry and physics at Lew Wallace High School and went through the same program as a student 10 years ago.

"It gets students interested in health careers, college and after college," Scott said. "They see what a typical day would be like."