HEALTHCARE CAREERS FOR STUDENTS BEING REDISCOVERED IN TALLAHASSEE
As a student, most of your medical needs are served through campus clinics. Runny noses, aches, fevers and sore throats are all commonly diagnosed and quickly treated by our campus health professionals. But where do you go for something more serious? Where should you go if you twist an ankle or a knee playing IM sports? Where should you take a friend who slips and falls hard at a party?
Medical options in Tallahassee extend beyond Thagard. Urgent treatment centers, specialty clinics and large hospitals are available to students who need them. Many of these offices exist along what is commonly referred to as the "Miccosukee Medical Corridor." You drive Miccosukee Road with your friend to seek emergency treatment at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare or Capital Regional Medical Center. You drive Miccosukee Road to seek proper care of a knee sprain or torn ligament at Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic. And while you're waiting for the physician, ask the receptionist where they studied and earned their certifications. While you're being x-rayed, ask the radiologic technologist where they learned their trade. There's a good chance they studied right here in Tallahassee, and stayed to serve their community's needs.
In terms of education and employment, Tallahassee is a very lucky city. The city is not only home to FSU and FAMU, but three other colleges and technical centers have local campuses: Tallahassee Community College, Keiser University and Lively Technical Center. These institutions offer programs in healthcare which train for jobs ranging from medical receptionists to neurologists. This ability to grow our own variety of employees who fill needs in our healthcare community couldn't be more beneficial or timely.
Local healthcare leaders have partnered with the Economic Development Council (EDC) of Tallahassee/Leon County, Inc. (EDC) in an effort to increase awareness of the opportunities and growth the industry is experiencing right now. After a recent conversation with Martin Shipman, CEO of Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic and chairman of the EDC's Healthcare Leadership Roundtable, it's apparent to me that healthcare offers great diversity of opportunities to build a fulfilling career in serving our community.
"Healthcare has a great advantage over other industries," states Mr. Shipman. "It's somewhat 'recession-proof.' People need healthcare and will always need healthcare. That characteristic is what makes the industry so attractive. It has staying power. People who choose to enter the medical field know that there are always jobs available, and their skills are constantly in demand. That's the whole purpose of our roundtable. We have more jobs then people to fill them, and we will make every effort to coordinate and provide resources to people who want to join us."
Mr. Shipman and other healthcare leaders are currently developing a comprehensive information pipeline for students interested in healthcare opportunities. The EDC Roundtable has been working for the past three years on finding and delivering new information to students that will aid in choosing and planning a career. Initially, they contracted with MGT of America, a premier research firm in Tallahassee, to conduct a professional industry survey. MGT of America distributed the survey to the area's healthcare providers with the intent of identifying missing skills and understaffed jobs within the industry. Information that has been uncovered contains employment trends, high demand jobs, needed skills and wage averages. The survey results will be included in an information pipeline along with resources for local training programs, continuing education, local employers and licenses and certifications.
The purpose for this pipeline is a resource for students seeking healthcare education programs, skills training or employment in Tallahassee. Likewise, employers can use the pipeline to find prospective employees for job placement. Job opportunities range from work in our area hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, physician offices and clinics that cover every medical specialty, plus the many research settings at work in Tallahassee. Whether you want to be the CEO of a hospital or a lab technician at an out-patient clinic, the pipeline has something for you.
The opportunities in health care are numerous and varied. Whether you realize it or not, the industry needs good employees for jobs ranging from IT personnel to Registered Nurse. No matter what your strengths and interests, there is an opportunity for you in healthcare. And the best thing about it: your skills will always be needed. If you are interested in healthcare as a career, please contact an academic advisor or admissions representative at any of the five colleges and training centers mentioned in the article.