Hands-On in Hettinger
By Stacy Kusler on
More than 65 students from Hettinger Public School were introduced to potential careers in healthcare through hands-on learning, this past fall, led by University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) medical students.
The week
before Thanksgiving, middle and high school students from
the rural southwestern community of Hettinger, North
Dakota, learned about healthcare careers from UND medical
students and Rural
Opportunities in Medical Education (ROME)
participants from the class of 2027, Abigail Jantzen and
Brian Olson.
Rural Exposure
Being from a small town, I realize that students don't always get exposure to all the career options that are out there...
Jantzen, who is originally from Bowman, North Dakota, led the charge of providing this interactive experience for students in her ROME community. "Being from a small town, I realize that students don't always get exposure to all the career options that are out there, especially the variety of options available in the medical field, so I wanted to bring a learning experience to the students in Hettinger," Jantzen said.
Olson, who is from Lakeland, Minnesota, added that he was excited to jump on board with Jantzen's idea because he wished he'd had this type of career exposure at their age. "I didn't have a similar opportunity in middle/high school to get some hands-on experience with healthcare, even though I was interested in the field. This is why I was excited to help Abby with this project and be able to give students that early exposure that I didn't have," he said.
First Time Experiences
Jantzen and Olson offered three different healthcare experience stations for the students, including reading blood pressure levels, suturing (stitching) using a silicone practice pad, and drawing "blood" through a phlebotomy simulation arm.
All 7th and 8th grade students from the school were able to learn about and practice these skills in an abbreviated timeframe, while the 9th-12th grade students from a health careers class were able to have more time per station.
I enjoyed hearing so many students with goals of specific careers in healthcare, including a few with goals of becoming doctors.
More time, paired with being at an age where students might start to seriously consider what career they want to pursue, made the experience notably different. "The high school students had more time at each station, so I had time to ask each student what part of the medical field they are most interested in, and I enjoyed hearing so many students with goals of specific careers in healthcare, including a few with goals of becoming doctors," Jantzen said.
Jantzen lead the phlebotomy simulation, while Olson lead the suturing experience.
"I [was] extremely impressed by the students and their engagement, but also very proud of the work we put into be able to provide this experience," Jantzen said about her time spent at the school that day.
Olson speculated that his time spent that day may have a bigger impact down the road. "One of the students told me that she is hoping to become a surgeon; she really excelled with suturing, and she wanted an extra challenge. We worked through how to tie a knot, and after some practice she was tying solid, secure knots. Reflecting on that experience, it's extremely gratifying to think that I might have been able to teach a future doctor or surgeon how to tie her very first knot of her career," Olson concluded.
North Dakota 85
The experience provided by Jantzen and Olson to the students of Hettinger is separate from, but in line with the North Dakota 85 initiative, which has a goal of reaching 85% of North Dakota student enrollment in both the MD and physician assistant programs by 2030. Achieving this goal includes interacting with as many middle and high school students in the state as possible, a mission Emily Evers is working hard to achieve.
Having students like Abigail and Brian go out and talk to students is a fantastic way to encourage high schoolers to pursue a healthcare career.
Evers, assistant director of admissions and recruiting, is leading the ND85 initiative for the school. Since October of 2024, Evers has visited 15 schools across the state, presenting on UND SMHS programs and encouraging students to consider a career in medicine at UND. Evers focuses on giving students the encouragement to dream big and to understand that what they are doing in school right now can impact their future career pathway.
"Having students like Abigail and Brian go out and talk to students is a fantastic way to encourage high schoolers to pursue a healthcare career. I can tell students about the opportunities, but there is nothing like hearing it from someone who has been in their seat," Evers said.
Successful School Collaboration
On the school's side, Krista Olson served as the primary point of contact for coordinating Jantzen and Olson's visit. Olson is the K-12 school counselor and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Career Development Counselor at Hettinger Public School. Following the visit, she shared numerous positive comments from students about Abigail and Brian's time at the school.
"These are the types of experiences that truly stick with students and stand out when they begin thinking seriously about their futures," Olson said. "Being able to offer this experience directly at our school – without needing to bus students to field trips that are often an hour or more away – is a huge benefit. It allows more students to participate and opens their eyes to career options they may not have previously considered."
Hettinger embraced the experience enthusiastically. Teachers and administrators circulated through the learning stations to observe the activities firsthand, and students were even invited to join staff for lunch in the cafeteria, where they enjoyed a much-praised turkey dinner ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
is the connection between rural healthcare facilities in North Dakota and qualified health professional job seekers. As the workforce specialist, she assists rural facilities to attract medical providers and other health professionals to their communities by sharing job opportunities. Through her position, Stacy is working to reduce the healthcare workforce shortages throughout the state.
