In April, 31 students from five local high schools (Shawano, Gresham, Marion, Bonduel and Pulaski) participated in a Healthcare Career tour at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano.
According to information from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development & the Office of Economic Advisors, there will be a 14.9 percent job growth rate in healthcare. The tour facilitated by NWTC Shawano Regional Center Manager Jeannie Otto and her staff members Jodi Tetting, Beth Frank and Deb Samolinski included an overview of college options and costs, expectations of local employers and scholarships/financial help available for college students.
Guest speakers who participated in the tour from ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano included Lindsay Seefeldt, physical therapist; Tamra Hobart, surgical technologist; Angie Bahr, microcomputer analyst; and Holly Zimmerman, registered surse. Shawano Ambulance had representation from Capt. Dan Malchow and Joel Magargle (paramedics), who answered questions about EMT and Paramedic career options.
Students found it interesting to learn about the variety of healthcare careers and hear that the entire Licensed Practical Nurse program is offered in NWTC’s educational space located inside of ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano. They enjoyed touring the emergency room department, the hospital and the ambulance. They were surprised to learn that Shawano has one of the busiest emergency room departments in the state of Wisconsin.
Students toured the inside of the ambulance and saw that it contained a car seat used to transport children who are patients. They also heard that the capstone paramedic course is 1-2 years of fulltime instruction. The students and their instructors also toured the NWTC educational space located at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano.
