Long before the event started, the room was packed with students eager to hear from professionals in the healthcare industry.
On Tuesday, the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) hosted a “Careers in Healthcare” panel as part of its Professional Panel Series.
This event featured four panelists who have a career in the healthcare field: Julie Lechliter, a systems analyst at UPMC and member of the UPMC Women in Technology Group; Kelly Cherry, a systems analyst at UPMC Altoona; Sandy Morse, Associate Director of Academic Partnerships at Rochester Regional Health; and Dr. Scott Rhoades, an IUP graduate and Chief Nursing Officer of the Center for Aerospace Nursing Excellence.
Each panelist shared their careers with students and contributed a distinct viewpoint and background information to the discussion.
Rhoades worked in emergency care for a time before finding himself in his current position providing care to anyone involved in Aerospace.
Reflecting on his career, he commented that he found fulfillment in gaining respect and proving that he was the best choice to care for patients.
He encouraged the students to pursue their careers with great initiative and to study a variety of courses to best prepare themselves as they enter the field.
“If you’re looking to break into healthcare, you need to be flexible and resilient,” said Rhoades. “That resilience comes from self-care.”
Rhoades is a big advocate of self-care and believes it allows students and all healthcare workers to continue working, even when faced with tough patients.
Morse expressed that employee turnover is the largest issue facing modern healthcare professionals.
She advised students to take chances that allow them to discover their true passions and to seek out “leadership in scrubs,” who are prepared to step in and assist, when necessary, when searching for a job.
Her experience as an OR nurse allowed her to find her current career and involvement with students and academic recruitment.
Morse encouraged students who might be looking at a career like hers to shadow and proactively ask questions.
“I always loved working with students and walking them through the actions I was taking as a nurse. Now, I get to help students find their path,” Morse said.
She believes students should try out their areas of interest to truly find a job they will love and be able to grow in.
Lechliter and Cherry approached the subject of careers in healthcare from a different angle.
Lechliter and Cherry work in technology and agree that significant changes are taking place in the healthcare industry, particularly with AI, making their roles crucial.
“I love to see the direct impact of the work I implement, and even though I’m not directly in front of a patient now, I know the work I do helps patients.” Lechliter said.
Cherry adds her own experiences of transitioning from a journalist to a technical writer to a systems analyst. She encourages students to be open to this shift and learn through experience, regardless of where they end up.
The panelists all provided students with insight into the current world of IT and encouraged students to remain open-minded as they approach careers of their own.
Students were encouraged to visit the CPDC’s Healthcare Career Fair on Nov. 12, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to learn more about potential career paths.
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