A career as a health care professional can look many different ways, from processing care and treatment information in an office environment to providing treatment to patients in a clinical setting. ANU offers a variety of health science programs to get your career started in this fast-growing field, no matter what your interests.
Get Hands–On Experience with a Medical Externship
Many of our health science programs allow students to learn through hands-on medical experience in externships. These externships are highly praised by students because the experience prepares them for the jobs they want after they graduate and gives them an opportunity to further themselves in those careers. Chrissy Holstein, a student who completed the Phlebotomy+ ECG program,described her externship at Saltville Medical Center as “fantastic.” “We didn’t just do venipuncture. We did capillary [punctures] and urine samples; we spun the samples down; and we prepared collections for the lab pickup,” she explained.
Another student, Heather Lynch from our Medical Assisting Associate's Degree program, landed a job with Southwest Virginia Community Health System after her externship with them. When talking about her new job and how well her externship prepared her, she says, “They gave me the computer and within 30 minutes, they left me on my own,” she said. “I was very comfortable.”
For other students, the externship helps solidify their potential career choice. As explained by DeVonda Chilton, who studied in our Pharmacy Technician Program, “I wasn’t sure I knew where I wanted to be until I started my [externship]… When I started my [externship], I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be…You see so much by working in the immediate care, and I’ve learned so much from working there.”
Take Advantage of Flexible Medical Online Classes
Along with the experiences students have outside the classroom, the flexible online classes and encouraging staff make it easy for busy students to attend class and obtain the support they need to make the most out of their time at ANU. Zelma Watson, a student who studied in our RN to BSN Program, liked the convenience of the online classes because it “allowed [her] to actually do it at home, or on [her] lunch break.”
Debrah Elvish was a student at ANU who was enrolled in the eUniversity Health Information Management program. “I loved [my experience here!],” she says. “The people are fantastic; they are [always available] if you have questions."
No matter what health science program you enter, here at ANU, you can rest assured that you will have the knowledge you need to succeed.
This program is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools and the Commission on Accreditation for Allied Health Education Programs and prepares you for the nationally recognized Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) certification.2/3
1 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/inpatient-surgery.htm
