CARTERSVILLE — Cartersville City Schools is offering students a pathway into healthcare.
The new dual-enrollment program with local colleges and healthcare professionals will be available to more than 20 juniors and seniors at Cartersville High School.
According to Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center CEO Lori Rakes, the Pre-Healthcare Pathway sets students up to build a future career.
“They can then participate in job shadowing, a clinical experience, mentorship which is so important, internships, and ultimately an accelerated employment opportunity,” said Rakes.
All the classes are in person at the high school, Georgia Highlands College, and students can observe physicians and nurses at Piedmont Cartersville.
Rakes hopes to take on more students every year as the program grows.
“Healthcare is changing so rapidly, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is our community, our patients we serve, our family members we serve. They need compassionate townspeople who want to make a difference,” said Rakes.
Participants in the program will graduate from high school with the credit needed to apply for nursing programs or continue learning in college for a specific undergraduate program.
WSB Radio’s Mary Ryan Howarth contributed to this story.