Careers in Healthcare

Are you interested in the medical field but unsure which specific path to take? The Careers in Healthcare course is designed to help you explore the vast variety of occupations available in the medical sector so you can properly plan your next steps. Rather than focusing on the in-depth science of a traditional biology class, this course provides a practical, foundational overview of health. You will learn universal basics that apply across many healthcare careers while engaging directly with the medical community to discover where your interests truly lie.

What You'll Experience

This course is built around hands-on exploration and real-world exposure to help you make informed decisions about your future:

• Industry Connections — Participate in conversations with a wide range of professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, prostheticians, respiratory therapists, and nurses. You will also hear from pharmacists, microbiologists, phlebotomists, and infectious disease specialists.
• Field Trips — Step outside the classroom and explore real healthcare environments through field trips to labs, hospitals, and clinics.
• Hands-on Practice — Learn foundational, cross-applicable skills like taking vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate.
• Ethical Debates — Engage in discussions and interactive simulations where you will debate the ethics of triage and healthcare coverage.

What You'll Learn

While discovering different career paths, you will master the basics of patient care and medical science across four core modules:

• Health Services Foundations — Explore healthcare ethics, the social determinants of health, and the wide variety of occupations in the field.
• Caring for Body Systems — Get an introduction to pathology, identify different types of illnesses (acute, chronic, etc.), and explore patient-focused symptom management and treatments. You will learn how to read lab results and build a research-based care plan for a patient with a specific illness.
• Infection and Immunity — Understand how diseases spread, identify types of pathogens and bacteria, and learn about transmission methods.
• Advances in Medical Technology — Dive into the tools that shape modern medicine, including advances in scanning technology, gene therapy, and pharmaceuticals. Highlight crucial technician roles — such as ultrasound, X-ray, and lab technicians, as well as the professionals who build prosthetic devices.

Projects & Assignments

You will compile your learning into meaningful projects designed to clarify your future:

• Healthcare Career Research Project — Do a deep dive into a specific profession to map out your post-secondary path and career goals.
• Historical Epidemic Research — Investigate a past epidemic and analyze the specific careers and roles involved in controlling the spread of disease.
• Patient Care Plan — Develop a comprehensive, research-based care plan for a patient dealing with a specific illness.