DALLAS TWP. — Pittston Area students still have a few months until graduation, but a handful of them got a small taste of life after high school.
The Pittston Area Health Science Club recently toured Misericordia University and saw first hand some of the classes in various departments in the university’s College of Health Sciences and Education.
They spoke with professors and students about what’s offered in the program, such as Physical Therapy, Medical Imaging, Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, and others.
“I thought it was very informational and educational,” said junior student Elizabeth Charney, 16. “It was a good learning experience to explore options.”
High school nurse and Pittston Area Health Science Club moderator Mary Beth Yakobitis said the club started at the beginning of the school year and is for students thinking of entering the medical world after high school.
There are 20 students in the club, but only 14 were able to take the tour. The club meets once a month, depending on when Yakobitis can schedule meetings.
She said she normally brings in guest speakers, but visiting Misericordia University was a nice change of pace and showed students that there are various options in the medical field.
“When I was in high school, there was only two careers that my father would say — either a teacher or a nurse,” Yakobitis said. “I never knew that there was all these entities.”
She said the tour of Misericordia was, hopefully, the first of many s students will visit Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in the spring.
The tour was setup by Elizabeth’s mom Lori Charney, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor in the Misericordia University Occupational Therapy Department.
“My daughter is a club member and she had said that they were having speakers come in and I had offered to go to speak there, but then I asked her ‘Why don’t you guys come up here and spend some time on campus and meet all the faculty?’” Lori said. “I emailed all of the professors to see who would be willing to spend some time to talk and they happily responded. I set it up with Mrs. Yakobitis, and we just made it happen.”
While some professors spoke about what their program offers, Lori was more hands on and allowed students to work with the school’s Anatomage Virtual Dissection Table.
The table was recently purchased by the university to enhance anatomy education for students majoring in the health and medical science fields. It offers a full-sized, gross human anatomy that students viewed by layers, or by sections, with the touch of a finger swipe.
“That was really cool, too,” Elizabeth said about the table.
Elizabeth also noted she will attend Misericordia University in the fall and thought she had decided on a major. The tour has her thinking otherwise.
“I came here and I thought I wanted to do Speech-Language Pathology,” she said. “Honestly, exploring my options, I’m rethinking and seeing what else this school has to offer because I will be coming here.”
