Here at Woodland, there’s so much to offer, whether it’s a club, sport, or class, Woodland has it. This year Woodland just started offering an opportunity for students to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). There is also the Health Science pathway, which allows students to get internships in a medical environment; some of these locations include hospitals, nursing homes, and doctor offices. Both courses are a great resource for students who plan on having a future career that has to do with health science. Dana Mulligan, Vice Principal of Woodland, kindly explained the differences between these two courses.
“So the difference is that the students who are in the CNA pathway, their intent is that they want to get that certification for the Certified Nursing Assistant, versus people who are on the Health Science pathway, which are students who know that their target is a four year college education and potentially majoring in health science. In that case, the CNA is an added bonus but not necessarily the career path,” said Mulligan.
However, COVID has played a major obstacle in these student’s learning. Arlena Michaud, junior in the CNA program, has shared some of her obstacles with this program.
“We only have in-person classes, and what that means is if it’s a distance learning Wednesday, we don’t have class. Then if there’s a snow day, our class gets canceled because we’re not in school,” said Michaud. “It’s a really good and important course, and it’s very beneficial for people to take.”
With the Health Science program, students can also get internships in different medical surroundings. This program requires a form to be filled out that includes what your intentions are when completing the Health Science pathway. This pathway is more targeted for the students who can see themselves working somewhere in the medical field, but not specifically in nursing. Mulligan advises students who have intentions of having a future career in the health science field to take it.
“Any time you have the opportunity to get exposure to something that’s of interest to you when you’re in high school, I think it’s a great idea, specifically the internship possibility or doing the CNA course,” said Mulligan.
With all of these opportunities being introduced at Woodland, students are being encouraged to plan for their futures. In the CNA program and the Health Science pathway, students will get the feel of what it’s like to work in the medical field and are encouraged to look into these pathways if that’s something they want to do. These pathways will continue to improve and help students move in the right direction.
