Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Sky's the Limit for Valley Students Eyeing Healthcare Careers
By admin
Published 5 years ago on
December 7, 2018

Share

When Bianca Villanueva graduates from high school, she wants to work toward a career as a cosmetic surgeon.
To get more information on what to do, Villanueva attended the Growing Health Leaders Youth Conference at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union.
Choosing to go was one of the best decisions in her life, she said Thursday.
“It was pretty informative, I learned a lot,” said Villanueva, a senior at Dinuba High School. “It is a really good event to attend if you are interested in the medical field.”


“It is a really good event to attend if you are interested in the medical field.” — Bianca Villanueva, senior at Dinuba High School

Valley’s Doctor Shortage

In the San Joaquin Valley, there are only 45 primary care doctors for every 100,000 residents, according to a 2017 UC San Francisco report.
That compares to the greater Bay Area, which has the highest number of primary-care doctors in California at 75 per 100,000.
There are worker shortages throughout the entire healthcare industry, as well. So high school students, with the right schooling, have excellent job prospects — especially with the expansion and establishment of medical schools in the Valley.
For example, UCSF Fresno became a branch campus of the UCSF School of Medicine this summer.  Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation in September supporting a Valley medical school. And California Health Sciences University in Clovis is gearing up to expand beyond its pharmacy school.

Conference Subjects

The conference had six, 45-minute breakout sessions focused on different aspects of the medical field. Categories included behavioral health, dental health, medical simulation, and patient experience.
Villanueva said the latter was her favorite.
“I learned how to approach a patient, and how you should act in a professional setting,” she said. “I also learned motivation tips and tricks to keep going when the going gets tough.”

Growing Health Leaders Youth Conference

Villanueva was one of more than 400 high school students who attended the fifth annual conference.
The purpose was to expose high school students to careers in healthcare with a special emphasis on behavioral health services, said Mary Renner, chief operations officer at Central Valley Health Network.
Dawan Utecht, one of two keynote speakers, hopes the conference gets students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field “because we need them.”
“The problem is that we have people who need healthcare services and we have fewer people who are providers,” said Utecht, director of behavioral health for Fresno County. “It is really important that we get more people into the field.”
Renner said this year attracted the most students in the event’s history.

“We’re so excited that local high school students have this wonderful opportunity to experience first-hand the great potential for obtaining a rewarding career in the vast healthcare industry and to visit the Fresno State campus at the same time,” Renner said.

Expanding Career Options

Jacob Rodriguez, a senior at Dinuba High School, plans to follow in his father’s footsteps and work with cancer patients.
“I got to job shadow with my dad a lot and got to know all the people he works with,” Rodriguez said. “That’s how I got interested in the field.”
However, instead of being a radiation therapist, Rodriguez said he aspires to become a radiation oncologist.
“It really opens your eyes to different aspects in the medical field,” said Rodriguez about the event.


“It really opens your eyes to different aspects in the medical field.” — Jacob Rodriguez, a senior at Dinuba High School
Hayden Tarr said the conference expanded his career options.
“I originally thought that I wanted to be a vet because I get to work with animals,” said Tarr, a junior at Sierra High School in Tollhouse. “Then I realized that I couldn’t work very well under pressure when animals were in pain. But with people, it is a little bit different for me.”
A career as a registered nurse, Tarr said, is a better fit.
However, after attending the conference, he is considering other options as well.
“It is the one that is in my mind right now, but my plan might change,” Tarr said. “Maybe I’ll explore nursing or a doctor or something like that.”

DON'T MISS

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

DON'T MISS

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

DON'T MISS

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

DON'T MISS

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

California Law Enforcement Agencies Obstruct Transparency Efforts in Use-of-Force Cases

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Tackles Animal Overpopulation with New Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program

DON'T MISS

No Police Charges for Taylor Swift’s Dad Over Paparazzi Incident in Sydney

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

6 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

6 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

6 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

6 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

7 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

7 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

7 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

8 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

10 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

11 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

4 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
4 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

5 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

6 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

6 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

6 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

6 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

6 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

7 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend