Video: Toyota to fund Health Care Studies Initiative

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TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)– Students in three Northeast Mississippi counties will have an opportunity to get a first hand look at health careers through a new program. As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, the initiative is the result of a partnership between a community college, a hospital system, and the world’s largest automaker.

They gathered in the boardroom of Tupelo’s Create Foundation for an announcement that will impact hundreds of high school students.

“Today we’re pleased to announce the Survey of Healthcare Career Course.”

That is the latest initiative organized by the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund. That is a 50 million dollar fund that will support a variety of programs throughout Lee, Union and Pontotoc Counties. The healthcare careers course is a partnership between Toyota, Northeast Mississippi Community College and North Mississippi Medical Center.

“This gives us an opportunity to stretch out a little bit and we believe healthcare is a vital portion of our community.”

Each semester, 20 11th and 12th graders will be able to take the course. They will get a close up look at a variety of jobs in the healthcare field.

“Many students only have an idea of what they want to do , this will help refine those ideas and make sure students are in healthcare who really know why they want to be there, once that is done, we have the staff and programs to teach them well.”

Students who are accepted for the course will be able to focus on a number of healthcare fields, educational requirements and demands in the workplace.

“It also allows the kids to really see first hand what it takes to do those jobs. You can talk to the staff who are in those roles, they can tell you the good, bad and ugly and it lets them know, what they love, because if you don’t love what you do and if you don’t have a passion for it you’re not going to be happy and content. This will help them to have that passion.”

Students will also be able to shadow medical professionals. Applications will be accepted through the spring. The first healthcare survey class will get underway in August.

There is a 24 dollar fee for the students to cover registration and an ID.