Ayva Lopez wants to go into the medical field but doesn't want to give up on her involvement with sports. A program Bettendorf High School has let her start exploring and find a field that lets her combine them: athletic training.
"I don't want to give up sports because it's been a main part of my entire life," Lopez, a junior, said. "I realized I could be an athletic trainer, mixing sports and the medical field."
The Health Science Program at Bettendorf High School allows students like Lopez to dip their feet into a variety of health care professions and even get a jump-start on professional certifications. The curriculum includes hands-on labs, lectures, clinical opportunities, field trips and class visits from a variety of local health care professionals.
Bettendorf students can become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) before graduating high school, along with earning other dual-credit health care courses via Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Thanks to a partnership with MEDIC EMS, Bettendorf is also one of the first high schools in the state to offer EMT certification courses as well.
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Both programs prepare students to take the state certification exam, which let them go straight into those roles after high school.
Like Lopez, though, not all students in the program have their sights set on nursing or emergency response. The chance to try different courses and start learning, and narrowing career plans, can help them prepare for after they graduate.
"I'm looking at becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner," another junior, Chloe Szegda, said. "I thought it was a great opportunity because No. 1, it's free, and No. 2, it kind of gives me an idea if this is really what I want to do ... so it definitely helps with future planning."
Bettendorf's program doesn't just focus on the hard sciences. Students also get a glimpse at the business end of the medical field.
"We learned about insurance, which I had no clue about," Lopez said. "I like that I got that knowledge so that when I get a job, I'll know what (coverage) option is best for me."
Teaching students about general business and life skills is also a focus for the program, said Roxanne Schmertmann, a BHS health science teacher. She and Dr. Anna Roeder lead Bettendorf's health sciences program.
"We felt pretty strong about including insurance because you're going to have to be a consumer of that someday," Schmertmann said. "A lot of that stuff can be taken and used in a business arena, like how to communicate (with patients.)"
Students are interested, Schmertmann said.
"We're very fortunate that our numbers are remaining high every year," she said. "We tend to have pretty level number of kids that are still interested. Especially for CNA, I think as more people are understanding what it means and what you can do with (a certification). … You can use it for other things (besides nursing.) I feel like it's become a little bit more popular, as more people learn that."
The program's "Intro to Health Careers" course typically averages 20-30 students, with smaller class sizes for upper-level or more narrowly-focused courses.
The school's block scheduling allows the program to stand out from other local, school-sponsored health CTE (career and technical education) programs, the teachers said.
"(Block scheduling) makes it easier, in my opinion, to teach some of our classes," Roeder said. "When you're on a shorter timeframe, like eight classes, it makes it a little bit harder for (students) to do something large, like the anatomy and physiology dual-credit, and get it all the information in."
Also making Bettendorf's program unique, Schmertmann added, are its targeted job shadow opportunities and mock interviews with local industry professionals.
"We've had kids that have been offered jobs from those mock interviews," she said. "Or (employers) will say, 'Hey, if you pass your CNA, give me a call.'"
For non-CNA or EMT students, Bettendorf's health science program will work with local industry partners to offer the appropriate certification pathways, "to the best of (their) ability."
"Right now, I have a student who wants to be a veterinarian," Roeder said. "So we're hoping to (work) with someone locally whose able to help us out with that."
Offering the program on-site is another benefit — especially for students.
"Students might not have a car or additional money for gas," Roeder said, also noting teacher access. "We want to make sure it's accessible for everyone. (Lopez) pretty much knows she can come find us at any time, without a problem."
"It would be so expensive to drive to (EICC) and come back," for classes, Lopez added.
Another highlight from the program, she added, has been getting to know and work with like-minded classmates. This has helped to develop patient communication and rapport skills, Lopez said.
Szegda agreed, adding that small class sizes were also a plus.
"When I took medical terminology and CNA, which are both (EICC) classes, I think one of them had eight kids in it, and the other one had six," she said. "You become a really tight-knit group. … A lot of times you end up sticking with those people in other classes because you guys (health care) is obviously something you're passionate about.
For classes like medical terminology — which Lopez said is like "learning an entirely new language" — peers typically help each other, the two students agreed.
The program also takes its fair share of off-campus trips.
Visiting the University of Iowa's Carver Medical College stood out for Szegda.
"That kind of gave me an idea of whether I wanted to become a nurse practitioner or PA (physician assistant)," she said.
Overall, though, Szegda said clinicals have been her favorite part of the program.
"That was the most rewarding experience I've ever had in high school," she said. "I think it teaches you so much about how to help other people and why you help other people, but it also teaches a lot about yourself too."
Despite pursuing different areas in the health care field, both Szegda and Lopez feel better prepared moving forward — and both give a shout-out to their teachers, Schmertmann and "Doc" Roeder.
"From the second you step foot into her class, (Schmertmann) will say, 'It's gonna be hard, I'm gonna push you. I have my golden standard, you're going to meet my golden standard.' Then you go into testing and (clinicals), and all of a sudden you're like, 'This is really easy,' " Szegda said. "They're also so supportive all around … whether it's personal, medical career (advice) or just homework — they'll push you, and it's going to be the best experience you've ever had."
Even for students who aren't committed to a career in health care, Lopez recommends giving the program a try.
"Even if it's just a basic (class), like in Intro to Health Careers," she said. "I learned how to suture someone, so if I'm ever in a situation where I'm cut or someone's cut and they need help, I might be able to help in that situation. Just having those basic life skills, like knowing how to respond under pressure and (problem-solving) is big."