South’s Healthcare Options: A new medical pathway
The beginning of something new. South is excited to have a new medical pathway to enrich the level of education for the students interested in the areas within medicine. South offers this pathway to 9th to 12th grade students.
Everyone has his or her own plan or route they follow in order to accomplish their dreams. Whether that dream is to become a teacher, a pilot, or a doctor; South Forsyth High School is ready to help pursue those dreams and make them into a reality. SFHS created a new medical pathway to help those students who have aspirations in the field of medicine. This year, South partnered with Lanier Technical College to further the knowledge and experience level for the students interested in healthcare. The CTAE Supervisor at South, Ms. Carrie MacAllaster, was glad to have another way for all her students to explore their passions and interests. The medical pathway offers two different courses and is also a dual enrollment pathway. To learn more about the requirements for this pathway and find other information, click here.
The new medical pathway focuses on two different areas in the world of healthcare: nurse aide and health information technology. Nurse Aide allows students to gain advanced knowledge and unique clinical experiences to be prepared for the real world. This program prepares students for careers in fields such as general medicine or even surgical specialties. Additionally, the students who complete the nurse aide pathway successfully can receive nurse aide certification. On the contrary, for those interested in health information technology, this course option allows him or her to learn more about the intertwining world of technology and medicine. Both routes of this pathway are beneficial experiences for anyone hoping to pursue a career in healthcare.
“This new opportunity will allow students to gain knowledge in these areas and will hopefully fuel their passion and interest for medicine,” says Ms. MacAllaster. “We want to provide our students with as many opportunities for success, especially when they believe that they may pursue a career in this area.”
Furthermore, since this new pathway is a dual enrollment pathway, the requirements for this pathway are quite different than the other pathways at South. When applying for this pathway, students should look at the dual enrollment requirements for Lanier Technical College and SFHS. For instance, Lanier Tech requires students to have a test score from items such as the ACT and/or the SAT. Dual enrollment allows students to complete high school credits at a college and catch a glimpse into what their future might look like. Going to college every day and being around college students allows students to recognize new things about themselves and get a deeper insight into what he or she is passionate about. Despite being a dual enrollment course, the medical pathway is still considered a CTAE Pathway and like the current pathways, students must complete the graduation triangle in order to earn credit for this pathway. For those participating in the nurse aide program, students have 3-course options to choose from; these options vary from the time of the course to the order of the classes taken. When comparing this course to the health information technology (HIT) course, the nurse aide route only requires a year of dual enrollment classes, whereas the HIT route requires 2 years of classes for competition. The school will provide transportation from South to Lanier Technical College for both morning and afternoon classes in the medical pathway.
All in all, this pathway was created to help give a deeper array of experience and knowledge for SFHS students. Being part of this medical pathway is one step in helping students transform their dreams in medicine into a reality.
