Hands on Health |
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Above: A look at Fat and Muscle - as part of Hands on Health.
This innovative exhibit exposes K-6th grade students to the health sciences at an early age. |
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Greetings!
Across the state, interest in Health Science and Health Professions education for is growing. From Project Lead the Way in Bozeman, to REACH camps coming to Dillon and Sidney, to Hands on Health in Missoula, new programs are taking off!
And with the economy on everyone's mind, careers in healthcare look better than ever. In your work, you are preparing and inspiring students to achieve their potential while helping others. Teachers across the state have been taking the initiative to contact local healthcare providers and connect their students to the real world of healthcare careers. We are here to help!
We hope to meet many of you at the MEA/MFT Conference in Billings Oct. 15 and 16. See you there! |
MEA-MFT Upcoming Conference |
A great chance to meet your state AHECs
The Montana AHECs have confirmed a presentation slot and vendor booth at the MEA/MFT Convention next week in Billings, October 15-16, 2009.
The Eastern AHEC based in Billings, will be presenting on the "Great Hospital Adventure" - a puppet show designed for 2nd graders to introduce them to healthcare careers. Educators will leave the presentation with the necessary information to bring this program into their classroom. Presentation times are 10:00 on the 15th and 2:00 on the 16th.
Please take the time to stop by our booth at the Vendor Fair! We have free dry-erase markers to give away and you can sign up for a chance to win our ipod shuffle! We would love the opportunity to meet you in person and discuss how we can be a continued resource for you and your students! |
Online Health Career Exploration |
Interactive Online Health Care Career Fair
Evolutions Through Healthcare is a unique Online Career Event for individuals pursuing a healthcare career, career counselors, hiring managers, allied healthcare professionals, nurses, and pharmacists.
Live: October 6-7, 2009 On demand until November 5, 2009 www.evolutionsthroughhealthcare.com Experts in different fields will speak in a virtual environment about career information including salaries, top jobs, trends and the future of the health professions. How will you benefit?This event will give you the chance to ask questions and hear current information about health careers.
You will get:
- Reliable information about career opportunities in health
- Q&A with experts who will discuss specific healthcare markets
- Access to top healthcare employers in our virtual exhibit hall - Network in the Virtual Lounge
Topic Specific to Students & Counselors -
Factors to Consider when Exploring a Career in Health: The focus of this presentation will be to share strategies on how to explore a career in health care. Information will be provided on job outlook, market trends, and the positive impact a diverse workforce can have on health outcomes and the healthcare industry. We hope you and your students will take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about healthcare careers! |
Hands on Health Update |
Program Going Strong After 1st Month
After being open for less than a month, Hands on Health has been experienced by approximately 300 visitors! That's a lot of giant Q-Tips swabbed, X-rays diagnosed, and pulses taken-- but it's only the beginning. Click the link below to see the front-page article that appeared in the Missoulian on Wednesday, September 30, along with a short video on the exhibit.
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_0f82ed00-ad7a-11de-9a07-001cc4c03286.html
Missoula and surrounding area teachers can book field trips to Hands on Health from now until February, 2010, by calling spectrUM at 243-4828.
Teachers in other areas- your class can experience these fun and engaging activities when Hands on Health travels to your area over the next three years!! If you would like to see Hands on Health come to your school or community, contact Grace Decker, Western Montana AHEC, at grace.decker@mso.umt.edu. |
Social Media - Find out more! |
Montana AHECs are on Facebook
It seems more and more often students are utilizing social networking sites for information and as a way to stay connected. The Montana AHECs feel it is vital to keep up-to-date on such trends and have created Facebook pages to connect with our students.
The Dillon office can be found on Facebook by searching for "South Central Montana AHEC." The Missoula office can be found on Facebook by searching "Wmt AHEC."
Please pass this information to your students and find us on Facebook for yourself - join us, become a fan, and have access to lots of great information on healthcare careers! |
Cool Web Sites of the Month |
A Website with Heart: The Minnesota Museum of Science has put together a great set of images, lessons, animations, and information about the heart. See step-by-step photos of heart surgery, animated diagrams of the hearts chambers contracting and blood flowing to and from the heart, directions for building a heart-rate monitor and tools for calculating your surface area (which will tell you how much blood is pumped per minute for every square meter of your body's surface area!) If that weren't enough, there are super-cool activities about the lungs, too. Check out "Habits of the Heart" at: http://www.smm.org/heart/ Helping students plan: Area Health Education Centers across the country are focused on inspiring and preparing students to enter careers in health science professions. Montana's AHEC system, founded in 2007 and therefore one of the nation's newest, is fortunate to be able to learn from and share the resources of AHECs that have been doing this work for thirty years. Connecticut's AHECs have developed an online guide to H.O.T. Careers (Health Occupations and Technology) which includes an especially useful year-by-year suggested timeline of steps students can take to prepare themselves for college and health professions programs. Check it out! http://www.healthcareersinct.com/additional-info/prepare-career.php |
Health Career Spotlight: Psychologist |
A Career to Tell Students About...
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience - from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists. Psychologists traditionally treat patients with mental and emotional problems, but they also serve as scientists researching the phenomenon of human (and non-human) behavior. They study how human beings relate not only to each other but also to machines, and they work to improve these relationships. In particular, they concentrate on behaviors that affect the mental and emotional health and mental functioning of healthy human beings.
In their research, psychologists follow scientific methods, using careful observation, experimentation, and analysis. They develop theories of human behavior and test them through their research. As this research yields new information, psychologists' findings become part of the body of knowledge that practitioners call upon in their work with clients and patients.
Psychology is a tremendously varied field. Psychologists conduct both basic and applied research, serve as consultants to communities and organizations, diagnose and treat people, test intelligence and personality, and teach future psychologists and other types of students. With the rapidly increasing diversity of the U.S. population, psychologists bring important knowledge and skills to understanding different cultures.
There are many different careers within this profession. For example, psychologists work with business executives, performers, and athletes to reduce stress and improve performance. They advise lawyers on jury selection and collaborate with educators on school reform. Immediately following a disaster, such as a plane crash or bombing, psychologists help victims and bystanders recover from the trauma, or shock, of the event. They team with law enforcement and public health officials to analyze the causes of such events and prevent their occurrence.
Salaries for psychology related occupations can range from $30,000 - $80,000.
Psychology related occupations: Here in Montana students can enroll in a Clinical Psychology program at the University of Montana - Marriage and Family Counseling at MSU-Bozeman - Mental Health Counseling at MSU-Bozeman, University of Montana, and University of Great Falls -Psychiatric Rehabilitation at MSU-Billings - Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at MSU-Billings - Social Work at Salish Kootenai College and University of Montana.
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This E-News is being sent to you by the Montana Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) in order to open a dialogue among educators about Health Science Education for K-12 students of Montana. Through this newsletter we intend to:
1) build a shared resource of activities, materials, and lesson plans to draw on in teaching the health sciences
2) highlight the cross-curriculum nature of the health sciences
3) build an interest in and awareness of health career paths for students in the state of Montana
Please contact us with your comments, ideas, questions or projects you'd like to see highlighted in future issues of this e-newsletter. And thank you for the work you do every day to inspire and support Montana kids! | |
Sincerely,
Montana AHECs (Area Health Education Centers)
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