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QC05042017

34 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • MAY 4, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM health Image of Harvard Medical School faculty member Dr. Richard Schwartzstein, teaching in the intensive care unit as part of an HMX course. Image courtesy of HMX | (c) 2017 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. Thinking about a career in health care? Consider this Medical professionals are in greater demand than ever before, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), by the year 2025, the United States could need as many as 90,000 more physicians than it actually has, and the demand for nurses and other health professionals could be even higher. Given those numbers, the time couldn’t be better to consider a career in health care. Historically, the path toward becoming a doctor or nurse has been a rigid one - and, as a student, you were either on that path or you weren’t. But today, new options are opening up, as even the best-established medical schools seek to expand their off erings and encourage a greater number of medically inclined students to enter the fi eld professionally. New options for health care-inclined students of all ages Just take what Harvard Medical School is doing. Th is spring, the school - whose typical acceptance rate is under 4 percent - announced its fi rst-ever online certifi cate program that’s open to all aspiring clinicians as well as the general public. The program, called HMX Fundamentals, is designed to give students a taste of what a top-tier medical education entails, while building crucial expertise in four foundational subject areas: Immunology, Physiology, Biochemistry and Genetics. Th ese highly immersive courses emphasize real-world applications and experiences, integrating real-life case studies and off ering a fi rsthand look into real medical facilities - a signifi cant step beyond the traditional, passive learning and slide-show presentations that are common in some other online programs. Th e idea is to provide foundational knowledge in a meaningful context, making the information as relevant as possible. By off ering wider access than ever before to some of the school’s top physician-scientists, Harvard Medical School is hoping to change the game, and encourage more health-curious students and professionals to explore medicine seriously. Whether you’re a highly motivated high school student, a recent college graduate or a young professional considering a transition into health care, this summer’s HMX Fundamentals program could be the fi rst step in your path toward a career in medicine. Expanding access without sacrifi cing quality While HMX Fundamentals courses are open to students at virtually any phase of their academic or professional career, they do require a basic understanding of chemistry, biology and physics. To ensure that students are prepared to succeed, prospective students are asked to submit a brief application, both to confi rm they’ve completed the recommended prerequisites and to give HMX a sense of what they hope to achieve through the program. Applications for the program will be accepted through May 30, and the inaugural summer installment program will begin June 20. Tuition for HMX Fundamentals courses is tiered, beginning at $800 for a single course or $1000 for a two-course bundle. Partial scholarships are available on a limited basis. Courtesy BPT


QC05042017
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