A year with on-site experience out of grasp for Health Science students
As of Aug. 25, an official update from the DFW Hospital Council stated that the entire North Texas region is facing a shortage of staffed pediatric ICU beds. Renee Richmond, retired nurse, and mother of 3 FISD students, has been directly impacted by the limited bed space in hospitals.
August 27, 2020
Due to COVID-19 prevention protocols put in place by the CDC and TEA, Health Science II students will not be allowed to participate in in-field clinical rotations as they have in years past.
“Health science II is going to look very different this year with students not being able to engage in real-world applications they way they normally would,” senior Mariam Malik said. “I think being able to be a part of the medical field and take care of people is a profound experience and it’s unfortunate that this year’s students may not have that opportunity.”
Malik took the course last year and believes that the class is still a unique opportunity for students looking to work in the healthcare field, despite the lack of clinical rotations.
“The insight you gain from health science II into medicine, and particularly patient care, as a high school student exploring different specialties in hospitals, nursing homes, fire stations, etc is unmatched,” Malik said. “However, I think this class still offers amazing experiences. The ability to take a class and become CNA certified is a great privilege. Students are still going to learn many fundamental skills which will kickstart their journey in the medical field.”
For some current health science II students, such as junior Sreya Das, the change in curriculum is disappointing.
“I originally took the class to get more exposure in the healthcare field,” Das said. “So it is a bit disheartening that I am unable to go to the hospital as of right now as that is something I was looking forward to doing the most.”
Although senior Sufiyan Sabir will miss the opportunity to work in the field, he still believes that the course will be useful.
“As an aspiring healthcare professional, I joined the Health Science Clinical work-based learning course to gain exposure to an organic healthcare environment, as well as develop my skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving,” Sabir said. “I believe that the program can grow my passion for healthcare, as well as provide the experience and foundation I need to become an effective healthcare worker. While it definitely is disappointing that we won’t be able to have some of the opportunities that previous year students learned from, I am still grateful to be allowed to learn at the CTEC and receive certification.”
