Emerging Health Professionals is an innovative dual enrollment program that combines skills-based, interactive, and university-level classroom learning with job shadowing in a health care setting. A partnership among Penn State Schuylkill, the Schuylkill Technology Center (STC), Geisinger St. Luke's, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and St. Luke's Miners Campus, Emerging Health Professionals is a half-day program open to Schuylkill County high school students. The program runs the duration of the school year, and students' daily activities consist of:
- Two half-days a week with Penn State faculty and the STC instructor at Penn State Schuylkill
- Two half-days a week participating in job shadowing activities
- One half-day a week participating in a health curriculum taught by the STC instructor
Program Eligibility
Students who want to apply must:
- Attend a participating Schuylkill County school district
- Be entering their senior year
- Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better
- Have completed one year of high school biology and chemistry with a grade of 3.0 or better
- Have an excellent attendance record
- Have written recommendations from a high school guidance counselor and one chemistry or biology teacher
- Successfully complete an interview
Requirements
Students who have met all of the requirements and are accepted into the program must:
- Present a health certification signed by a health care professional (physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner; a chiropractor will not be accepted)
- Complete tuberculosis (TB) questionnaire and TB testing, as required for shadowing
- Complete required orientation paperwork
- Pay initial deposit fee
- Commit to the entire, school-year long program
Participants in the program will enroll in a total of eight Penn State credits: BIOL 161/162 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (lecture and lab) and BIOL 163/164 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (lecture and lab).
Students are officially enrolled at Penn State Schuylkill in the high school Dual Enrollment Program and receive a 50 percent tuition reduction. Students are responsible for the cost of all Penn State college credits and any additional fees which may include required textbooks, fees, etc.
Students can obtain program information or apply by contacting Tracey Picht of the Schuylkill Technology Center at [email protected] or by calling 570-874-1034 or 570-544-4748.