Page 12 - Spring 2017 Magazine

PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE
®
Health Science Concentration
Made possible by a grant from the Marilyn De Groot Charitable Trust
The Health Science Concentration provides a foundation for those students interested in exploring a career in the health sciences and those with an interest in fulfilling most of the prerequisites for nursing, health care education, healthcare management, and preparation for graduate work in entry-level Master’s in Nursing programs. This concentration provides a broad liberal studies degree, yet also provides some of the courses that may be required for pre-medical and graduate work in physical therapy. The healthcare and social assistance sector is expected to become the largest employing sector between 2014 and 2024, with an estimated 3.8 million jobs added. Healthcare suppo occupations and healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to be the two fastest growing occupational groups, representing 1 out of 4 new jobs over the next decade.
Benefits
This concentration provides students with a foundational pla orm and valuable skills translatable to any career or calling within the healthcare arena. Students will develop broad preliminary information in order to pursue the advanced degrees required for careers in health science. This degree, with emphases in health care leadership and management, psychology, and organizational dynamics, helps graduates develop the competencies to advance their personal careers and overall practices of the medical industry by understanding and applying current policies and regulations, patient care initiatives, risk management, and the like.
Mission Statement
The Health Science concentration exists to empower students to provide ethical and compassionate service to the local and global community by providing healthcare coursework to suppo health education, healthcare management and pre-medical preparation in the context of a liberal studies degree.
Careers in Health Sciences
The list of occupations within the health sciences is practically endless, including jobs in five major career paths: diagnostic services, therapeutic services, suppo services, health information, and biotechnology research and development. Health science professionals work in hospitals, dental o ices and laboratories, government and private research centers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, community and public agencies, and large health care organizations. The day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of a person in a health science occupation vary significantly, but always require excellent communication skills and a ention to detail. Examples of healthcare occupations include: Healthcare facilities manager, healthcare educator, medical laboratory technician, medical records administrator, health science writer, and community health organizer. With additional graduate studies, this concentration could be a pla orm for a basic nursing degree and a nurse practitioner degree in the state of California.
Providence made me think about some big life questions. As a doctor, I’m already using the critical thinking that I learned at Providence to aid me in my profession.
Providence also helped me understand who I am in Christ—that I have an obligation not only to serve my Savior, but to also serve those in my community. My plan is to be open to what God is calling me to do. Sometimes he calls us to do uncomfo able things, but I’m just focused on hearing God’s call. By listening to the Lord, I’ve found that sometimes people need more than just medicine; they need the gospel.
~ Dr. Caryn Vanden Berg, Class of 2009
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