Informative Health Panel Provides Insight for Aspiring Students

Brubaker invites medical professionals to answer questions,

Parker Farrand, Newsroom

The Aspiring Health Care Students club brought a panel of healthcare workers on Monday, March 7 consisting of Lauren King, Heather Needham, Stacy Counterman, Kimberly Norris, Christopher Porter, and Melissa Smith. The workers sat on the stage of the little theater ready to answer questions. Of the six speakers, there were two registered nurses, a biomedical equipment technician, a laboratory scientist, a respiratory therapist, and director of talent development. Their voices echoed through the quiet theater sharing their experiences in the medical field. The panel was directed by junior Avery Brubaker who is the club president and has been with the club for two years now. Brubaker hand-selected those who spoke at the panel with the goal of providing students planning to pursue the medical field had a variety of voices and positions to hear from. 

“I had a large community outreach and I had to filter through multiple health care professionals,” Brubaker said. “I was honored to have more than forty people reach out to me and want to help.” 

Brubaker’s inspiration for the panel was from what she had seen with the students at HSE. COVID-19 caused a high demand and low supply for those in the health care field and the pressure to find a supply was shifted to students who were interested in health care.  

“I saw a lot of student discouragement from joining the health care field and I wanted to show them the variety of healthcare options there are,” Brubaker said. “I wanted to reignite their passion through showing them different careers.” 

The panel was presented questions that were submitted ahead of time from the audience and answered questions they felt they had a good input on. After an insightful hour or so of answers, the panel was wrapped up with a simple question, Was it worth it? There was an overwhelming agreement among the healthcare workers that it was definitely worth it, which King expanded on as to why. 

“We keep building pathways to get [into the health care field] that did not exist before and you can build your career as you go,” King said. “Often we hear that nursing is one thing and it is like you are stuck [but] you are not, there are lots of options and opportunities and I think one of the greatest things you can have in a career is choices.” 

There will be one more health panel that is planned for later this semester on April 22. 

Story By Parker Farrand.

Hands gesturing, clinical laboratory scientist Kimberly Norris speaks at HSE’s Health Panel March 7. (Parker Farrand)