In 1989, teen doctor Doogie Howser took America and the fictional medical field by storm. In 2018, GRC students are taking Kentucky and the real medical field by storm.

Seniors Haley Goldhahn and Kylie Harper are taking full advantage of the bio-med and health science pathways to help them get a head start in the very competitive medical field.

GRC offers many different opportunities for students to get a sneak peak into a life of a medical professional. These programs include Project Lead the Way and Nurse Aid.

Students can choose to be in the Project Lead The Way biomedical science pathway or the Nurse Aid health science pathway.

The Nurse Aid pathway is an avenue many students take to help them prepare for a career in nursing.

Heather Abner and Teresa Cowan teach the classes students take to prepare for their certification test.

“Once our students pass their industry certification exams, we place them in internships in the hospital, doctors’ offices, EMS,
pharmacies, and physical therapy clinics,” said Cowan.

Along with internships, several students have been able to find employment thanks to their certifications. Kylie Harper is one of these students.

This year, Harper was able to work at The Willows in Lexington, an assisted living center. “We did our clinical rotation through the Willows before our Nurse Aid test,” explained Harper. “I applied and I got the job.”

In order to get into the Nurse Aid program, students must complete all the prerequisite classes and write an essay to Mrs. Abner, explaining why they want to be in the program.

Harper says this program has really helped her decide what career path she wants to take after high school.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the medical field. Now I have a better understanding of my options,” said Harper.

Nurse Aid isn’t the only option for students interested in the medical field. Biomedical Science is another path students can take.

This year all of the classes in the biomedical science pathway have been taken over by JoHannah Rosevear and Jennifer O’Brien.

These classes, along with medical terminology, include human body systems, medical interventions, and biomedical innovations.

Many students like Goldhahn have chosen to take advantage of Project Lead The Way and its benefits and opportunities.

“The teachers in Project Lead The Way really helped me understand what being in the medical field is all about,” said Goldhahn. “Currently I am shadowing at the hospital once a week. It’s under a rotation, so I shadowed under a radiologist, a pathologist, the ER, and a bunch of different departments.”

Goldhahn also was able to shadow under Dr. Beth Griffith at Ertel Medicine and Pediatrics.

PLTW and Nurse Aid aren’t just about stethoscopes and lab coats. Both Goldhahn and Harper have formed many bonds through the program.

“I’ve made friendships with people who share the same passions as I,” said Goldhahn.

What students are able to take from Nurse Aid and Project Lead The Way go past skills and scrubs.

“Project Lead the Way has introduced me to my passion,” said Goldhahn. “Helping people through medicine and health care is what I love.”