Leaders plan to infuse Medical City with homegrown talent

ORLANDO, Fla. — Medical City is promising thousands of jobs, and now there's a way to get help for people who need those jobs the most.

A new Lynx route is planned from west Orlando to Medical City and options for job training in the medical field.

Keyresia Sealy, an Orange City elementary school student, has her mind set on becoming a veterinarian.

"Because I like animals," 10-year-old Sealy said.

And her child-sized white coat shows she's on an early track to get there.

It's dubbed Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Program and city leaders hope to train residents from the time they're Sealy's age until they're adults to be able to work at Medical City.

Rock Lake and Orange Center elementary schools now have additional science teachers.

University of Central Florida and Florida State's medical schools plan to mentor science students at Jones High School.

"Grow our own doctors, our own nurses and technicians, we ought to grow it right here in Orlando," said Daisy Lynum, Orlando city commissioner.

Adults are getting their shot with nursing programs through Orlando Tech and Valencia College that ultimately can feed into local hospitals throughout Orlando that are partnering with the program.

"I just wanted to further my education and be able to help even more people," Orlando Tech student Kataya McDonald said.

City leaders saw transportation problems on the road ahead.

Many of the people they want to reach with the program live around Parramore, at least 20 miles from Lake Nona, and many might not have a way to get there.

Lynx will start an express route from downtown to Medical City in April 2014.

The state is pitching in $281,000 and the city will match that to operate the route for two years. After that they're hoping other grants can help drive the program.

WFTV