One of the best and most important programs at Dakota is the med program! Its where passion meets purpose, and future healthcare professionals find their true calling and build up their familiarity inside their passions. From anatomy to crucial patient care methods, this program is such a great resource for the next generation of doctors. The med program includes experienced teachers, hands-on learning, and first-person participation that ensures that these students are equipped with the right tools to make a difference in the medical world. I will be going over the captivating details of the med program that the average student at Dakota High School might not be aware of, whilst celebrating the bright individuals exploring the fields of medicine.
There are a few different levels of the medical program at our school, let’s go over them.
•MEDICAL CAREERS 1A / ANATOMY IN HEALTH & DISEASE 1B
Taught by: Mrs. Zemnickas
This class is a one-hour period for juniors, and it expands over two semesters or a full school year. In this course, you get to explore career options while simultaneously learning skills in an interactive way. You will learn many things in this class including CPR, first aid, patient transport, temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and much more. After completing this course, you will earn a .50 credit in Career and Technical Education and .50 credit in Anatomy in Health and Disease.
•ENGLISH 11A/11Bc
Taught by: Mrs. Sobota or Mrs. Tancredi
This is a one-hour, two semester class prominently for grade 11. Students can take this class after successfully completing English 10. This course is the REQUIRED companion English course for Medical Careers 1 students. Students will learn about the English based aspects of the medical field, while learning the standard English content for 11th graders.
•MEDICAL CAREERS 2A / ANATOMY IN HEALTH & DISEASE 2B
Taught by: Ms. Licavoli
This class is for Seniors and is a tow hour class over the entire school year. Students must apply Junior year and receive acceptant in order to be in this course. This class is a more advanced version of Medical Careers 1. Students will also get additional hands-on instruction by spending class time at the McLaren Medical Center. You will need to purchase the appropriate scrubs that are for your class. While at your visit to the hospital, students will be assigned different tasks or floors where they have to help patients, transport them, learn care tactics, and become even more informed about the real jobs inside of a hospital. Completing this course, students will earn 1.00 credit in Anatomy in Health and Disease and 1.00 credit in Career and Technical Education.
•ENGLISH 12A/12B
Taught by: Mrs. Sobota or Mrs. Tancredi
To take this class, students must apply and receive acceptance during their junior year to be in the Senior level of the class. This class is a more advanced level of English 11A/11B.
•MEDICAL CAREERS INTERNSHIP 1A/1B
According to student’s interest levels, they will be placed in a health facility that is appropriate for them. This gives students real life experience of a medical job. A student who chooses the Internship course for either one or two hours is expected to meet 200 hours of work per semester.
Here are some of the many careers that the med students may go on to pursue in their futures!
Examples of careers in healthcare:
• Cardiovascular Technologist
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
• Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
• Physician’s Assistant
• Physical Therapist/Assistant
• Athletic Trainer
• Occupational Therapist/Assistant
• Respiratory Therapist
• Surgical Technologists
• Clinical Laboratory Technologist
• Medical and Health Service Managers
• Dietitians and Nutritionists
• Genetic Counselor
• Audiologist
• Ophthalmologist/Optometrist/Optician
• Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy
• Dentist
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
The calling of the Medical Academy is to provide high school students with unparalleled preparation experiences in healthcare that develop essential foundational skills through a combination of hands-on, classroom and hospital-based, clinical rotations. Students are empowered to make informed decisions regarding career opportunities in healthcare and postsecondary options to achieve their goals. The companion English courses uniquely support this goal by presenting rigorous and relevant college preparation English through literature related to healthcare.
After speaking with various students in the medical program at our school, I can confirm that this program is one of the most beneficial series of courses our school provides. If you’re interested in becoming a medical professional after college, this program will give you a step in the right direction!
