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For Immediate Release
High School Students Explore Health Careers at Mercy
Oklahoma City —
More than 600 high school students
will explore health care careers this Friday at Mercy. The popular Mercy
Health Career Exploration Day, now in its sixth year, gives area
students a chance to learn about a wide variety of job opportunities.
“Students often think that a career in health care
is limited to being a doctor or a nurse, but there are so many
opportunities in health care today,” said Kerri Beasley, RN, Mercy
recruitment coordinator. “This event isn’t a lecture or some boring
intro into health care; this is an exciting hands-on experience for
students to see what they would get to do in a health care career. We
don’t just tell them about it, they get to see it up close.”
Students couldn’t agree more.
“I got to actually touch a real pig’s lung,” said
Melissa Banks, a Yukon High School junior at last year’s exploration
day. “Six years ago I decided I wanted to be a nurse. This gave me a lot
of hands-on. I didn’t know that we’d get to do so much.”
Whether it was actual hands-on experience or getting
a chance to talk to real-life health care professionals, the career day
provides students with lots of information.
Studies have shown that the level of health care
awareness among youth today is low. In order to educate students, Mercy
has extended invitations to local high schools. Participating high
schools and groups include: Chisholm Trail Technology Center, Crescent,
Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center, El Reno, Emerson, Francis
Tuttle Technology Center, Guthrie, Mount Saint Mary, Norman, Norman
North, Northeast Academy for Health Sciences and Engineering, Putnam
City, Putnam City North, Star Spencer and Watonga.
Students will not only receive lots of information
but also talk one-on-one with a radiology tech, pharmacist, nurse,
respiratory therapist, nutritionist, lab technician and many more
professionals. Students will be able to view actual radiology and
hospital equipment, educational videos, organ models and have the
opportunity to win various door prizes.
“We want students to learn all about what a health
care career can provide,” said Bill Peterson, director of Mercy’s human
resources. “Every year many students find the experience invaluable
because they are able to see firsthand how numerous the opportunities
are in health care. The possibilities really are endless.”
Students will also be able to talk with
representatives from local institutions that provide health care
education including: Francis Tuttle, Rose State College, Southern
Nazarene University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, University
of Central Oklahoma and The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center. For more information on career opportunities at Mercy, go to
www.mercyok.net or
www.mercycareers.net.
“I always thought the medical field was only about
doctors and nurses, but there are so many more fields to go into,” said
a student at a Mercy career day.
Press release dated: January 28, 2008
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