While many students that opt to participate in the Creighton University Pipeline to Success Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) often have an idea of what health professional career they wish to pursue, many do not and those that do realize that they are open to learning more about other health professional careers outside of the one they desire to become in the future. For those that are still trying to figure it out, a portion of our HCOP programmatic activities involve career exploration which aims to empower students to discover, plan and pursue their health professional goals.
As we continue to deliver programmatic activities in a virtual space, we carved out time during our most recent HCOP session (held on October 23, 2021) to focus primarily on what we call – A Day in the Life of a Health Professional!! From dermatologists to chemists to social workers, there are so many health career options beyond the doctors and nurses we’re accustomed to seeing on television and/or during our yearly checkups. Therefore, the HCOP team invited the following two (2) awesome health professionals to the virtual session: Jaicy Omega, MLS (ASCAP), CM – Medical Laboratory Scientist from Nebraska Medicine and former HCOPer; and Margaret Williams, MS, CTRS – Recreational Therapist from Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals. Twenty-eight (28) high school and ten (10) health professional 2021-2022 Online Health Careers Ambassador student participants got the opportunity to discuss the following questions and more with each health professional:
• What inspired you?
• What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your job?
• What does “a day in the life” of your health profession look like?
• Patient Demographics
• Required Education and Training
• And much more!!!
Additional “props” i.e. medical instrumentation, patient equipment, pictures, and live demonstrations were a bonus for the students as well.