DAY IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY 

Odds and ends from around the San Fernando Valley:

Now this is the way to inspire kids' interest in a career in your field: Invite them in for a day to look around and kick the tires.

More than 850 students from 12 San Fernando Valley middle and high schools got a firsthand look Thursday at hospital life during the 10th annual Health Career Day at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar.

Interns, residents, nurses and support staffers served as mentors to the students, who donned surgical garb and participated in mock operative procedures, CPR and trauma care.

The visit gave them a behind-the-scenes look at the emergency room, pathology, physical therapy and other major departments.

But the field that caught the eye of many of the girls, including Joanna Carcomo and Diana Arellano of Birmingham High School, was pediatrics.

``We're members of the medical club at our school, and of all the departments we visited, pediatrics was the greatest - caring for babies,'' Carcomo said.

Arellano said the visit helped reinforce her desire for a career in the health and medical profession.

``They gave us a chance to see the real thing and encouraged us in our careers,'' the 17-year-old said. ``I loved it.''

That's the kind of reaction Dr. Vena Ricketts, associate chief for the center's Department of Emergency Medicine, was looking for.

``We can make a difference, one-on-one, and give these students hope and direction to maximize their career opportunities after school,'' she said.

Other agencies participating in the event included the Los Angeles city and county fire departments, local law enforcement agencies and the California Highway Patrol.

When Harry Corre - who spent 3 1/2 years in POW camps during World War II - walked into a VA hospital after returning home, the first person he ran into was a rude guy sitting behind a desk with his feet up - unwilling to give Harry the time of day.

``All you guys are just looking for money,'' Harry remembers the guy saying. ``So I gave him the Italian salute and said goodbye.''

Corre, now commander of the Los Angeles chapter of the Ex-POW/MIA group, wants to make sure veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq never face the same treatment.

``We want to make sure they all get a fair shake and everything that's coming to them,'' Corre said.

So Harry's POW chapter, which includes wives and widows, is hosting a welcome-home party Wednesday at the Sepulveda VA in North Hills for all returning veterans.

There will be food, entertainment, and clown and magic shows for children. But, more importantly, there will be veterans-benefits counselors with education and employment information to make sure these veterans get what's coming to them.

``We want our POWs talking to and mentoring the vets because one of the biggest problems we had coming home was nobody was there to tell us what to do, where to go, and what was available,'' Corre said.

If you're a veteran and want to learn more about VA benefits, bring your discharge certificate and meet some great guys.

The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Sepulveda VA, 16111 Plummer St. Just follow the flags to the northside entrance of Building 200 and adjoining parking lot.

Even if you're not a returning vet, stop by and say ``Hi'' to Harry and the members of his POW/MIA chapter. And thanks, too.

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Registered nurse Ernesto Navarrete and Dr. Kelly McCartan watch as James Allen inserts an airway into a practice dummy. Students from Taft High School spent Thursday at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, learning about medical procedures.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer