Local News - November 2003

Students tune in on healthcare careers

 By SARAH GRANO, Staff Writer

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Students listened as an EMS worker told them about car crashes and people being injured by falling trees.

His co-worker, Carol Jenkins, sat at the back of the room listening as he described her last shift.

“She pretty much got her world rocked in 24 hours, but she’s still a trooper and came out here to do this for y’all,” said Mike Keller, the EMS worker.

Keller and Jenkins joined other healthcare workers at a career fair held at North Lincoln High School on Thursday.

Students who had shown interest in healthcare were invited to attend the fair. All four high schools participated.

Lincoln Medical Center, which has adopted North Lincoln, sponsored the fair.

“We know that there is a need to attract students into healthcare,” said Pam Dellinger, who organized the fair along with the school system.

“This will be a great introduction to what a healthcare career has to offer.”

North Lincoln’s unused classrooms filled up with nurses, lab technicians and veterinarians who all came out to talk to students about their careers.

Students signed up for areas they were interested in learning about. Representatives of each career gave 15 minute presentations.

“I like to talk a lot, and I don’t always have time in 15 minutes,” said Susan Dalrymple, a medical technician.

“Not a lot of people understand a lot of the healthcare careers, and the students seem interested, especially when you’re talking about blood and the body.”

Students learned more than the basics of each job. They were told what salary they could expect and how much schooling they would have to do.

Students also found out what careers needed more workers.

“There’s a real need right now in North Carolina in the dental field,” said Prissy Helms, a public health dental hygienist for Lincoln County. “We’re trying to recruit some good students.”

A representative from North Carolina Central Nursing came to spur interest in a nursing careers.

“Right now the big focus is recruiting more males and minorities into the profession, and the best way to that is one on one,” said James Beal, a recruiter. “They all think it’s a woman’s career.”

Women were encouraged to join in the traditionally male dominated field of EMS workers.

Keller told students about the sexism that existed in his field when he first became an EMS worker.

“When I first came, I can remember when two women weren’t allowed to ride together,” Keller said.

Instead, each ambulance had to have a male EMS worker. Things have changed since then.

“That was ludicrous. Women have really stepped up and shown what a really good job they can do.”

Many students left the career fair with an idea of what career they wanted to pursue.

Some learned they had more options than they could keep straight.

Others figured out what careers were not right for them.

“I don’t think I want to do nursing,” said Amanda Zickefoose, a freshman at North Lincoln. “I’m considering dentistry, or something along those lines.”

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Staff Writer Sarah Grano can be reached at 704-735-3031 or sgrano@ltnews.com

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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