ARLINGTON — Students interested in scoring a job in the medical industry will soon be able to get a jump start locally.

Hospital and school officials are currently in the final stages of kicking off a Medical Explorer Post at Cascade Valley Hospital.

The post would give students from Arlington, Lakewood and Darrington high schools a chance to “test out” the medical industry and see if it’s something they would be interesting in pursuing, said Jola Barnett, assistant administrator of business services at Cascade and post chairperson.

“There are lots of high-demand jobs in health care right now,” Barnett said. “(The post) would make it so they can start planning now.”

Barnett said the plan is to have medical professionals, including internal staff from the hospital such as surgeons and external experts such as local dentists, give interactive discussions twice per month during the post’s meetings.

Barnett said she foresees presenters leading ethical discussions about the medical field — not just a lecturer standing in front of a group of students.

“We’re hoping that this will be all-encompassing,” Barnett said.

Those meetings would initially be overseen by post organizers and medical advisers. Involved student leaders would then take over leadership of the post in scheduling speakers, Barnett said.

She said she hopes that participants in the post would eventually be able to take small field trips to local healthcare facilities.

So far, high school counselors from the three schools have sent Barnett a list of approximately 270 students who might be interested in health-related fields.

Jan Mustered from Arlington, Andrea Sather from Lakewood and Dyanna Armony from Darrington — as well as Duane Rhodes from the Mount Baker Council of Boys Scouts of America — serve on the post’s committee.

Barnett said the north Snohomish County medical post could be the only one available in Washington state. After doing some research and contacting other post organizers throughout the Northwest, she said she learned that the nearest post was in Hillsboro, Ore.

Invited students, as well as their friends, are all encouraged to attend the post’s first meeting.

Organizers are planning on holding that first event with students either in late January or early February, Barnett said.

Students must be at least 14 years old to take part.

For more information, students at Arlington, Lakewood and Darrington high schools are being asked to contact their career counselors. For more information on the event, call 360-618-7812.