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Encouraging health care careers: Retired doctor helps high schoolers see opportunity in hospital work

Stuart Trust, MD, leads tours for high school students interested in science and medicine. (photo by Richard Whelsky) Stuart Trust, MD, leads tours for high school students interested in science and medicine. (photo by Richard Whelsky)

He retired a couple of years ago after 43 years practicing pediatrics, but Stuart Trust, MD, still works with youth.

Rather than providing medical care, he now provides medical inspiration.

He meets with small groups of teens who have expressed interest in science or medicine. He provides a personal tour of the children’s hospital and answers questions about career options.

“I explain that the health care field is wide open. It’s inclusive and diverse,” he says. “Whatever you do, you can earn a good living — and you’ll get to help other people.”

Here are three health care careers that high school students might consider:

•Apply to an associate’s degree program in nursing.

At the same time, apply for early admission to the College of Nursing at Upstate. (Upstate provides further education for registered nurses, who often work while earning their Bachelor of Science in Nursing.) Provided you maintain good grades, you have guaranteed admission to Upstate’s RN-to-bachelor’s program.

•Through a 2 + 2 program in Upstate’s College of Health Professions, you can attend two years of college — often a community college — and then transfer to Upstate for your junior and senior years. Upstate offers six programs through which you can earn a bachelor’s degree in this way: medical biotechnology, medical imaging sciences/X-ray, medical imaging sciences/ultrasound, medical technology, respiratory therapy or radiation therapy. The advantage for students is in cost saving and a highly focused education.•If you think medical school may be in your future, Upstate offers a master’s in medical technology. This rigorous one-year program gives students who have graduated from college the chance to strengthen academic, clinical and analytical skills. If you are accepted into this program, you are guaranteed an admissions interview at Upstate’s College of Medicine.

Learn more at upstate.edu/education

Upstate Health magazine fall 2019 coverThis article appears in the fall 2019 issue of Upstate Health magazine. Click here for the full online version of the magazine.

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