ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont technical school is giving students a kickstart in the health care field, building their futures in numerous career paths.
Students at the Northwest Career & Technical Center in St. Albans are in the first few weeks of the Medical Professions course.
“They’re learning a lot of the basics of what it means to walk into a facility; how to speak to patients of all ages; making sure they’re keeping information confidential; that they have good medical ethics, good decision making,” explained Julie Bucknell, an instructor at the center.
The students hit the books hard during year one of the course. During the second year, they do more hands-on work, including job shadows.
Jillian Smith, a senior, just started her job shadow at Northwestern Medical Center. “We get placed at our local hospital, NMC, and we go there for two to three hours in different departments of your choice,” Smith said. Later this year, she says she plans to pursue a licensed nursing assistant certification with Bucknell.
Others can explore a wide swath of what the school calls “flexible pathways.” “It allows them to kind of go in different directions and come out of medical professions with something they could go into the workforce right then, or give them something they’re gonna utilize as they go onto their postsecondary education,” said NCTC’s Tim Hurteau.
Other pathways include physical therapy, radiologic imaging, laboratory technology, dental hygiene, veterinary medicine, and sports medicine.
“This class has really prepped me in taking college anatomy and physiology, really diving into the body system, muscles and bones, getting ready for that next step,” said Nora Tetro, another student taking the course.
Olivia Morrill, an emergency room nurse at Northwestern Medical Center, was in the same classroom just a few years ago, earning college credits and propelling her ahead of her peers. “A lot of kids are afraid to interact with patients, but I’d already been doing that for some time now, so that helped,’ Morrill said.
Whether nursing or another path, instructors like Bucknell have one common piece of advice. “Try it out. See if it’s for you. See what pathway is gonna match for you,” she said.
