Starting the 2022-2023 school year, LT is offering Intro to Healthcare to students, giving them more exposure to the lesser known medical fields, and giving them a sense of what the medical field is like. 

“Ideally this class is adding a little bit more exposure into the world of healthcare and medicine and the body,” Intro to Healthcare teacher Slyvia Tanious said. 

The idea of this class was started three years prior and took a little push to finally get it going and accessible to students, she said. The main goal is to give students the opportunity to explore different healthcare careers. 

“This gives us the foundational first step for our students to explore what they think they’re interested in or even maybe what they know they’re interested in,” Intro to Healthcare teacher Amber Beemer said.

Teachers want this class to help students consider what they want to do outside of LT and discover the many different medical careers other than the typical doctor and nurse, Tanious said.

“We really just found value in having students learn about other healthcare professions that weren’t the traditional doctor and nurse,” she said. 

This semester-long course focuses on skill development and practice application, such as giving stitches to a patient and checking vitals. The four units explore many different career paths, in order to help the students narrow down what exactly they are interested in. This class prepares students and acts as a guide for them before entering the real medical world. 

“It’s giving students the opportunity to see if it’s something they’re interested in and if they have what it takes,” Tanious said. 

Each of the four periods per semester are completely full of students, starting with 100 students each semester and are already beginning their journey into the healthcare scene by talking about historical figures that influenced medical practice and developing skills.

“I think what I’ve noticed most of all is the enthusiasm,” Beemer said. “Students are coming to class and they’re participating in our conversations and discussions. It’s not me just standing there lecturing.” 

The students will have the opportunity to talk with guest speakers and go on field trips to gain more knowledge and skill for the class. It aims to teach students the importance of teamwork and compassion needed for certain medical jobs.

“I’m really excited about this class,” Beemer said. “Being an optimist, I wouldn’t put it past LT students to double the registration next year.”