How do you plan for a health career?

• Take yourself seriously and plan your own future. What would you really like to do in health care? Picture yourself doing it. Do you like what you see?

• Become an expert on health careers. Have you read career booklets? Have you considered ALL possibilities? Research health careers and discover a new and exciting career.

• Become an expert on yourself. Have you talked to a health science education teacher or school counselor? Have you taken an interest inventory? The ACT? WorkKeys? If you have not, why not?

• Begin now to prepare for your career. What kind of education and training will you need? A one-year, two-year, four-year program? Graduate school? What are the admission requirements? What high school courses does the college require? Does your health science teacher provide job shadowing, clinical internships, or cooperative education to help you explore health careers? Are these jobs related to your career choice?

• Take charge of making decisions for your own life and career.Assess your own ideas about what is the best health care career for you. You know best what your abilities and interests are. Your health science teacher, career and technical education counselor and school counselor will help you explore your options.

• Set your own goals and learn how to work for them. Keep a strong image in your mind of what these goals are. Work toward your goals with the idea of success in your mind. Many people are successful and happy in challenging and interesting health careers. You can be too!

Strategies for Success

• Prepare your program of study using the dual path and include courses in health science education.

• Become active in HOSA: Future Health Professionals

• Remember, no one person has all the answers, so seek a variety of health care professionals to assist you.

• Identify potential mentoring relationships with health care professionals.

• Develop an electronic portfolio of school, community, other health care and HOSA activities.

Click here for a link to Missouri Health Career website

Click here for a link to Mid-Missouri Area Health Education Centers website

Health Science Academy: Schedule/Timeline

Here's a schedule (or timeline) to help you understand the sequence and assist you each year in school to ensure you are on the right track and don't miss a deadline!

• 10th Grades
  Visit Guidance Counselor and ask how to enroll in the Health Science Academy
• 11th Grade
  Attend RTI/C and complete 1st course, Health Science 1
• August, 12th Grade (1st Semester)
  Attend RTI/C and complete classwork for Health Science 2 Apply for RTI/C adult healthcare program automatic admission OR college/university
• January, 12th Grade (2nd Semester)
  Attend RTI/C two days a week for classwork; three days a week will be clinical experience at assigned health care facilities
• April, 12th Grade (2nd Semester)
  Complete Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam **Optional
• May, 12th Grade (2nd Semester)
  Graduate high school!

Two Choices:
(1) Enter workforce
(2) Attend college