PHX Reporter

Ella Bechtol, a 17-year-old student from Mesa, has set her sights on becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon. With a longstanding fascination for the brain, she is currently volunteering in the pre-op department at Banner Baywood Medical Center, where she was born. Her mother was also a labor and delivery nurse at the same hospital, which no longer has that department.

"I feel at home in the hospital," Bechtol shared. "Even though my volunteer work may seem small, I love being able to interact with patients and help make nurses’ jobs easier by taking care of things that often go unnoticed."

Aside from volunteering, Bechtol, who graduated high school two years early, is pursuing medical studies for pre-med with a minor in Spanish at Arizona State University. She aims to complete her degree early by taking over 20 hours each semester. Her aspiration is to join the U.S. Air Force as a pediatric neurosurgeon.

Bechtol's responsibilities at the hospital include preparing patient bays, delivering lab specimens, and stocking supplies. To deepen her understanding of the field, she intends to shadow a surgeon at Banner Baywood. She's known for her academic prowess, having placed in the top ten at the Arizona Regional Brain Bee last year. At home, she immerses herself in surgical scenarios through YouTube videos.

“People go into medicine to help others,” Bechtol remarked. “I want to do that for kids because they have the rest of their lives to live — they often have more hope than adults and I want to be a part of that hope.”

Banner Baywood Medical Center serves as an acute care hospital in Mesa, Arizona. It is equipped as a Primary Stroke Center and offers various services including orthopedics, emergency care, surgery, cancer care, and acute rehabilitation. For further details, visit their website at bannerhealth.com/baywood.