Healthcare workers are often in high demand and in short supply in Northwest Oklahoma. With a healthcare provider shortage nationwide, it is not surprising that Oklahoma’s rural areas are especially affected.
Oklahoma currently ranks 49th in access to primary care physicians with only 81.7 physicians per 100,000 people. In other words, doctors, nurses, techs and physicians assistants are needed all across Oklahoma, but especially in rural areas. Only about ten percent of physicians practice in rural America despite the fact that nearly one-fourth of the population lives in these areas, according to Rural Healthy People 2010.
Factors such as accessibility, cultural and social differences, educational shortcomings and lack of recognition by legislators all conspire to impede rural Americans in their struggle to lead a healthier life. Northwest Technology Center, with campuses in Alva and Fairview, Okla., does its part to combat these challenges by offering several programs to train all levels of employees needed in the healthcare industry.
“One key factor in bringing more qualified healthcare to practice in our region is making it possible for people who grew up here to get training and education that prepares them for a career in healthcare,” said Daren Slater, assistant superintendent at NWTC-Alva.
Among the programs offered at Northwest Technology Center are health careers certification, practical nursing and biomedical sciences, which is a program which utilizes the STEM curriculum created by Project Lead The Way. Especially the programs geared towards engaging students early to get them prepared for a healthcare career are very important to Northwest Technology Center.
Biomedical sciences is a high school program which introduces students to medicine and human body systems, preparing them for careers in medical and health-related fields.
“The biomed courses at Northwest Tech are a game changer for our students,” said Shawn Cusack, biomedical sciences instructor at the NWTC Fairview Campus. “We provide the opportunity to problem solve and teach them to use industry standard equipment while working in groups and to defend their conclusions. This is a program that creates a student focused environment to drive their interest in science and health careers.”
The curriculum is approved by Project Lead The Way. Project Lead The Way is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in the global economy. Throughout biomedical sciences, students explore the concepts of human medicine and are introduced to topics such as physiology, genetics, microbiology and public health.
Breanna Nightengale, a senior at Fairview High School, said she is planning to attend Oklahoma State University to major in Animal Sciences.
“I plan to become a DVM,” she said. “Biomed has prepared for my future in college and beyond through lab work, up-to-date technologies. The experiences that I have had in this class are irreplaceable. I am learning a lot to preparing for the future.”
Activities such as dissecting a heart, a fetal pig or a cat are included in the curriculum. Students examine the processes, structures and interactions of the human body, often playing the role of biomedical professionals. They also explore the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, working collaboratively to investigate and design innovative solutions to the health challenges of the 21st century. Students are introduced to a range of biomedical careers, preparing them for post-secondary success.