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Dawson students get jump on med careers
More future doctors, nurses and medical professionals are getting a head start at a younger age.
As young as 15, students enrolled in Careers and Technical Education (CTE) classes at Glenda Dawson High School (DHS) in Pearland aren’t waiting until graduation to pursue paths toward their career goals.
Approximately 75 students are enrolled in CTE medical courses at DHS, taking a range of classes that cover cellular biology, anatomy, medical terminology and more. Next semester, the students are scheduled to do clinical rotations.
“It’s very extensive and very in-depth; what they learn is just amazing,” said Bonnie Thibodaux, an Alvin Community College instructor teaching the medical CTE courses at Dawson. “Taking these courses is really going to impact their education in the future.”
The classes provide participating high school students with advanced knowledge and experience that will help prepare them for academic pursuits in college and employment.
“Our CTE programs build academic skills while offering students educational programs with more relevance, ownership and purpose,” Pearland Independent School District CTE Director Barbara Derrick stated. “Through these enhanced educational opportunities, our students are prepared for successful careers.”
According to Thibodaux, the CTE program has already helped one of her students find a job at an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) office as a receptionist.
“It will give her invaluable experience,” she mentioned.
“I got hired because I’m taking medical classes at school,” said Sterí Gaines, a 17-year-old DHS student interested in becoming an OB-GYN doctor.
Gaines said the CTE program also helps motivate her to continue.
“It keeps me interested,” she said.
“It’s giving me the basic background information that I will need,” Sandra Yan, 15, said of CTE. Yan, like several other students in the program, is following in the footsteps of a parent – her mother, a doctor and researcher.
Pearland ISD has offered CTE programs to high school students since the federal government mandated vocational education in the 1960s. DHS offered CTE programs immediately after opening at its transitional campus – the former Ninth Grade Center – in fall 2007. The high school will open at its permanent home on Cullen Boulevard in 2009.
Due to technical preparation agreements with ACC, San Jacinto College and College of the Mainland, some CTE courses at DHS and Pearland High School (PHS) can be transferred for college credit.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, PHS, DHS and PACE Center students will be able to take dual credit classes with ACC in drafting, process technology, and culinary arts. They may also earn state certification training in certified nursing assistant and pharmacy technician programs, which will allow them to obtain state certification once they turn 18 and pass the state exam.
Pearland ISD’s CTE program also offers dual credit courses in cosmetology, automotive collision repair and air conditioning though San Jacinto College.
“I really feel there is a need to get teenagers ready for a good career while still in high school,” Thibodaux mentioned. “I feel it (CTE) should be at every high school.”
As young as 15, students enrolled in Careers and Technical Education (CTE) classes at Glenda Dawson High School (DHS) in Pearland aren’t waiting until graduation to pursue paths toward their career goals.
Approximately 75 students are enrolled in CTE medical courses at DHS, taking a range of classes that cover cellular biology, anatomy, medical terminology and more. Next semester, the students are scheduled to do clinical rotations.
“It’s very extensive and very in-depth; what they learn is just amazing,” said Bonnie Thibodaux, an Alvin Community College instructor teaching the medical CTE courses at Dawson. “Taking these courses is really going to impact their education in the future.”
The classes provide participating high school students with advanced knowledge and experience that will help prepare them for academic pursuits in college and employment.
“Our CTE programs build academic skills while offering students educational programs with more relevance, ownership and purpose,” Pearland Independent School District CTE Director Barbara Derrick stated. “Through these enhanced educational opportunities, our students are prepared for successful careers.”
According to Thibodaux, the CTE program has already helped one of her students find a job at an OB-GYN (obstetrician-gynecologist) office as a receptionist.
“It will give her invaluable experience,” she mentioned.
“I got hired because I’m taking medical classes at school,” said Sterí Gaines, a 17-year-old DHS student interested in becoming an OB-GYN doctor.
Gaines said the CTE program also helps motivate her to continue.
“It keeps me interested,” she said.
“It’s giving me the basic background information that I will need,” Sandra Yan, 15, said of CTE. Yan, like several other students in the program, is following in the footsteps of a parent – her mother, a doctor and researcher.
Pearland ISD has offered CTE programs to high school students since the federal government mandated vocational education in the 1960s. DHS offered CTE programs immediately after opening at its transitional campus – the former Ninth Grade Center – in fall 2007. The high school will open at its permanent home on Cullen Boulevard in 2009.
Due to technical preparation agreements with ACC, San Jacinto College and College of the Mainland, some CTE courses at DHS and Pearland High School (PHS) can be transferred for college credit.
During the 2009-2010 academic year, PHS, DHS and PACE Center students will be able to take dual credit classes with ACC in drafting, process technology, and culinary arts. They may also earn state certification training in certified nursing assistant and pharmacy technician programs, which will allow them to obtain state certification once they turn 18 and pass the state exam.
Pearland ISD’s CTE program also offers dual credit courses in cosmetology, automotive collision repair and air conditioning though San Jacinto College.
“I really feel there is a need to get teenagers ready for a good career while still in high school,” Thibodaux mentioned. “I feel it (CTE) should be at every high school.”
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