About the High School Health Sciences Program
The OTC Health Sciences program is a two year program OTC offers during the student’s junior and senior years of high school. The program gives students an opportunity to observe many healthcare occupations while achieving both high school and college credit hours. The classroom and clinical rotations will enable the student to make decisions about their future in the health care industry and decide if a career in health care is in their future.
The OTC Health Sciences program prepares students to:
- Understand the roles of the interdisciplinary team in health care
- Describe professionalism, ethics and legalities of health care
- Perform basic health care concepts and skills
- Complete CPR certification
- Demonstrate health care leadership and management development
- Complete the DHSS approved MO certified nursing assistant program
Employment Opportunities
According to the 2022-2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics, Overall employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032. About 1.8 million openings are projected each year, on average, in these occupations due to employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the occupations permanently.
Training
The Health Sciences program is an approved nursing assistant training agency, by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Health Sciences students have the opportunity to complete training to become a Certified Nurses Assistant, during the second year of the program. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists professions, that require training as a Certified Nurse Assistant, to be among the 20 occupations with the highest projected change in employment.
Health Sciences Mission Statement
The mission of the Health Sciences program at Ozarks Technical Community College is to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals in a collaborative inter-professional learning environment, provide accessible, innovative explorative ways to research and study the various healthcare careers.
Contact Us
Email questions to keithlef@otc.edu, or contact the OTC High School Programs office at (417) 447-6997 or highschool@otc.edu.