Laura Bond, Reporter
02-26-2009
High school students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field can get hands-on experience this summer through a long-standing volunteer program. Applications are being accepted for North Louisiana Area Health Education Center summer volunteer program, where students earn a half unit of high school credit with classroom work, field trips and observing departments at Northern Louisiana Medical Center and other health care facilities.
AHEC of a Summer Health Volunteer Program, which lasts 90-100 hours over a 15-day-period, allows students who are interested in the health field to narrow down their chosen career before they set foot inside a university or technical college.
Twenty local students who participated in AHEC last summer got a firsthand look at everything from work in physical therapy and pharmacy to practices in the cardiology and dietary departments.
“Students get a feel for each occupation,” North Louisiana AHEC youth program coordinator Ashley Frazier said. “The goal of AHEC of a Summer is to help high school students gain a greater understanding of health careers that will assist them in making informed decisions concerning their professional goals.”
Frazier said the program is not just for those who want to go into a more traditional health field such as nursing, but also for those who are interested in medical areas such as veterinary science and forensics.
“Rather than going to college and spending their money and time at school, they can do this 15-day program and narrow down their options,” Frazier said. “(During the program), almost half of the students always change their mind about what they want to do.”
In addition to the half unit of high school credit, participating students will earn a CPR certification and have the opportunity to participate in other AHEC training programs.
North Louisiana AHEC, established by a federal grant in July 1989, covers 21 parishes and aims to bring medical professionals back to the rural and underserved areas in Louisiana.
Frazier said AHEC tracks the 150-200 students in the 21-parish area who complete the summer program every year, and the majority eventually obtain a career in some area of health care.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, health care is expected to generate 3 million new wage and salary jobs between 2006 and 2016, which is more than any other industry.
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