Ermila Mazariegos, Zoe Sermons
Staff Writers
The Governor’s Health Science Academy (GHSA) at ACHS offers courses directed towards different medical career paths. The Dual Enrollment (DE) program offers six different pathways: Biomedical Informatics, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing, Sports Medicine and Surgical Technology. All ACHS students enrolled in the program are also enrolled at George Washington University, even though they take classes here.
Before students select the pathway they want to pursue, they must take the Introduction to Health and Medical Science course which provides a foundation for their medical knowledge. The different pathways teach students about different aspects of the specific medical field and some even offer certifications. For example, students in the Sports Medicine pathway can take an exam to receive a personal training certification.
Though each pathway is focused on a specific career, students say that the pathways allow them to gain specific knowledge but still learn about the healthcare industry as a whole. Junior Marium Kalhoro says that she chose the Biomedical Informatics pathway because it gives her an in-depth medical education but still leaves room for students to venture into many different medical fields.
“Let’s say I don’t want to be in a certain profession in the biomedical field,” Kalhoro said. “I can easily change my mind and go to another field. It gives you flexibility and I feel like that’s the best part.”
The EMS pathway is focused on emergency medical care, like first responders in ambulances. “Not only does the EMS pathway offer information that is applicable to real life situations, it also offers engaging activities to its students,” said junior Hannah Kidd, who is currently enrolled in DE Emergency Medical Technician I & II. Kidd says that learning how to open airways and stop someone from choking are two of the most useful things that students have learned in class. “The most fun part of the pathway is definitely the skills days where we get to learn and test necessary EMT skills. For example, we did lifting and moving where we practiced by putting each other on stretchers and carrying the stretcher around,” said Kidd.
Although some pathways teach students about emergency situations and general medical knowledge, The Sports Medicine pathway focuses on more of a clinical setting. Sports Medicine shows students the ways in which athletes can stay healthy and how to treat their injuries. “I would definitely recommend this [pathway] to athletes because it is good to know how to take care of yourself.” said junior Kiki Nebolsine, who is enrolled in this pathway. Students learn how to prevent and treat injuries, and create healthy diets.
The Nursing pathway opens students up to a variety of careers and opportunities in the medical field. “I chose the nursing pathway because I believe that it is the closest pathway to what I want to be in the future. I am interested in being either a L&D [labor and delivery], pediatric, or NICU [Newborn Intensive Care Unit] nurse. Really, I’m just interested in working with kids in the future,” said junior Jenniffer Sesay. Most students in the GHSA select their pathway with their possible career in mind. The large variety of pathways makes it easy for students to find a pathway that coincides with their goals.
The Medical Laboratory Sciences pathway dives into diseases and medicine. “With medicine, I would love to learn more about immunology and epidemiology, focusing on diseases and how they spread —sort of what we saw with the pandemic,” said junior Sarah Boglione, who is in the Medical Laboratory Sciences pathway. “Not only does this pathway incorporate current events like the pandemic, it offers a phlebotomy certification that can benefit students who are interested in a career in medicine. Even if you’re not looking to be in a Medical Laboratory Sciences related career, this pathway welcomes all students.”
“I would highly recommend this class to anyone, even if it’s not their main career choice. Learning about Medical Laboratory Sciences can really change your point of view in the medical field,” said junior Journey Fisher.
The GHSA is a way to get connected with people who may have similar career interests to you. “There is a program that I signed up for to have a mentorship. It’s called Paths,” said junior Olivia McCarthy. McCarthy is in the Surgical Tech program where students learn about everything from how diseases spread to surgical instruments. Programs like Paths are essential for students in the GHSA who seek guidance and advising.
The GHSA provides a wide variety of pathways for students to choose from. With pathways from Nursing to Sports Med, students can choose their pathway based on their goals for the future. The many different certifications offered can be helpful to students who seek a career in the medical field.
Featured photo by Zoe Sermons for Theogony
