RAPID CITY, SD (May 28, 2020) — Now
more than ever, society needs skilled healthcare workers. The current shortage of
medical professionals is an opportunity for the students of today to become the
healthcare heroes of tomorrow. And while college is admittedly expensive, an
investment in a healthcare education will pay a handsome return in the years to
come, according to Dr. Johnica J. Morrow, Pre-Health
Pathways advisor at South Dakota School of
Mines & Technology.
South Dakota Mines is working hard
to prepare its pre-health students to enter health professions and address
these needs in rural America and across the country, says Morrow. Pre-health
students at Mines are pursing degrees in traditional fields such as biology,
chemistry and pre-professional health sciences, as well as in engineering
fields, such as mechanical, industrial and biomedical. These
students have bright futures, in part because South Dakota Mines ranks as the
best in the nation for return on investment.
The healthcare industry has a great
job outlook, Morrow says. By the end of 2018, there were 16.2 million people
working in the healthcare sector, accounting
for about 11% of all jobs in the United States. It’s also one of the
fastest growing industries in the country, with around 346,000 jobs created in
2018, which equates to about 29,000 new jobs every month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
expects that the industry will continue to grow, projecting a 14% increase
between 2018 and 2028, which will add an additional 1.9 million over that
decade. In small rural states like South
Dakota, the number of jobs in healthcare is projected to grow by 6.8%
between 2016-2026, with an average of 58,885 annual job openings in the
industry. Much of this anticipated growth stems from having a population that
is getting older as the last of the baby boomers become senior citizens. As a
population ages, and a generation with a large cohort of current healthcare
workers enters retirement, there becomes a greater demand for healthcare
providers.
Right now, there is a major
shortfall in the number of healthcare professionals needed to address this
growing need for health care services. The American Association of Medical
Colleges (AAMC) estimates that there could be a shortage
of over 120,000 physicians through 2030. This shortage will have
significant impacts on mortality rates and life expectancy. A study
in JAMA International Medicine from 2019 showed that counties with
more family doctors had lower mortality rates than those with fewer physicians,
and life expectancy was shown to increase by almost two months on average for
every 10 additional primary care physicians per 100,000 people. And this is
only looking at how shortages in physicians impact people’s lives. We also
desperately need more nurses, physician’s assistants, medical lab scientists,
occupational therapists, and many other people with training in the myriad of
health professions.
At South Dakota Mines, pre-health
students develop skills in critical thinking, time management, effective study
techniques, leadership and teamwork while pursuing their degrees, Morrow says.
Mines offers student support services
such as the Center for Inclusion, the Career and Professional Development
Center, the Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement (SLICE) office
and the Student Success Center. It’s dedicated staff members across campus are
invested in helping students achieve their full potential.
“In my position at the Pre-Health Pathways office within
the Student Success Center, I help students gain the competencies, identify and
seize the opportunities, and find the resources that they need to be
competitive candidates for getting into professional programs in healthcare,”
Morrow says. “This unique office works with students from their first semester
as a pre-health student to help them explore health career options, create a
personal timeline, set professional development goals, connect to resources
both on and off campus, prepare for entrance exams, navigate the application
process, and do well on their interviews.”
The South Dakota Mines Pre-Health
Pathways office has also recently launched Pre-Health Experiences in
Volunteering, Education, Research, and Shadowing (or PHEVERS, pronounced
“fevers”), a student-centered, co-curricular program to further help students
learn about the healthcare industry and develop competencies that will make
them both stronger candidates for professional programs and better healthcare
workers once they complete their professional training.
PHEVERS students not only engage in
activities within the four major areas (Volunteering, Education, Research, and
Shadowing), but are also required to reflect on their experiences, which helps
them to think more deeply about the value of those experiences and how various
activities are preparing them for careers in healthcare. Between the academic
rigor, the many opportunities for developing leadership skills by being
involved in campus organizations and events, and the dedicated staff in various
student services at South Dakota Mines, pre-health students have everything
that they need to grow professionally and be prepared for a career in
healthcare.
To learn more about the pre-health
program at South Dakota Mines, visit Morrow’s blog The Atrium by clicking here.