KNOXVILLE, IA – A job shadow experience at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics gave Pleasantville High School senior Ava Van Ness more than an inside look at a career in health care – it helped change the direction she hopes to take in the future.
Ava, daughter of Jordan and Jonna Van Ness, had long planned to pursue veterinary medicine. After completing a job shadow with a veterinarian, she decided to explore another side of medicine through a job shadow at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics with Capital Orthopaedics surgeon Dr. Todd Peterson.
During the experience, Ava observed two hip replacements, a knee arthroscopy, and a carpal tunnel surgery. Seeing the procedures firsthand sparked an immediate interest in surgery and opened her eyes to a career path she had not previously considered.
“I always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, but after shadowing Dr. Peterson, I started thinking more about health care instead,” Ava said. “I thought all the surgeries were really interesting, but the carpal tunnel surgery was probably the coolest. I could actually see the tendons moving the fingers, which was something I had never seen before. It definitely made me more interested in medicine and what I might want to do someday.”
That experience helped turn Ava’s interest in science and the human body into a potential career goal. Now, she has her sights set on becoming a trauma surgeon.
Her interest in medicine received another boost this summer when she traveled from Iowa to New York City for an opportunity few high school students experience.
Ava was one of just 80 students from across the United States selected to participate in the Simons-NYU Science Exploration Program, a three-week STEM-based program in Manhattan. She was the only student from Iowa selected to participate.
“When I first got accepted, I couldn’t believe it was true,” Ava stated. “I thought it was really cool that I was selected because there were so few students chosen from across the country. I knew it was going to be a great opportunity to learn more about science, meet other students who shared the same interests, and experience something different from what I was used to.”
The application process included submitting a high school transcript, a 150-word essay explaining why she wanted to participate, and letters of recommendation.
During the three-week program, Ava’s days began at 8 a.m. with two morning lectures covering subjects including chemistry, biology, physics and neuroscience. After lunch, students participated in hands-on laboratory experiences focused on biology, chemistry, or physics. Classes wrapped up around 4 p.m., leaving evenings and weekends open to explore New York City.
For Ava, some of the coursework meant stepping outside familiar territory. While she had previously taken biology and anatomy, she had not taken chemistry or physics.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new thing,’” she said. “Being able to experience chemistry and physics for the first time in that kind of setting gave me a better idea of what those subjects are like and made me want to learn more.”
The experience extended beyond the classroom and laboratory. Students also had opportunities to experience New York City, including attending Yankees and Dodgers baseball games and taking a sunset dinner cruise. Ava witnessed Manhattanhenge, a phenomenon that occurs twice a year when the setting sun aligns with Manhattan’s east-west street grid, and visited landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge.
Back home, Ava continues to build on her interest in medicine through an expanded science curriculum at Pleasantville High School. In recent years, classroom learning and experiences outside of school have given her additional opportunities to explore the human body and learn more about careers in health care.
Those opportunities have included visiting the Des Moines University cadaver lab and hearing a presentation from a medical investigator, further exposing Ava and her classmates to medical careers and concepts beyond the traditional classroom.
For Ava, the journey from observing surgeries in a local hospital operating room to studying science in Manhattan has helped her begin to envision what her own future in medicine could look like.
“I would love to attend New York University and become a trauma surgeon,” Ava said. “I know it will take a lot of hard work, but these experiences made me even more excited about what I could do in the future. Someday, I’d like to come back to Iowa and use what I’ve learned to help people here. Iowa is home, and I think it would be rewarding to bring those experiences back and make a difference in the state where I grew up.”
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics is a non-profit community hospital serving Marion County and the surrounding area. Named a 2025 Top Workplaces Industry winner, KHC’s highly skilled staff and specialists are committed to providing personal, compassionate, and innovative health care to individuals in our area. For more information regarding this release and other happenings at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics, call the Public Relations Department at (641) 842-1418 or visit knoxvillehospital.org.
Photo caption: A job shadow experience at Knoxville Hospital & Clinics with Capital Orthopaedics surgeon Dr. Todd Peterson, gave Pleasantville High School senior Ava Van Ness more than an inside look at a career in health care – it helped change the direction she hopes to take in the future.
