BY ISU STAFF
IN THE PAST 2 YEARS, residents of East Idaho have entered medical school at the University of Washington, veterinary school at the University of Minnesota, physical therapy school at Rocky Mountain University Health Professions in Provo, Utah, and occupational therapy, physician assistant, and pharmacy programs at Idaho State University (ISU) in Pocatello.
What do these future health professionals have in common? They all completed their bachelor’s degrees almost entirely on the Idaho Falls campus of Idaho State University.
Dr. Barbara Frank, a recently retired ISU Biology instructor in Idaho Falls, says, “I’ve always been impressed by how well we place students into healthcare professions.”
Healthcare Programs in Idaho Falls
In addition to students who completed the pre-requisites for these professional medical programs in Idaho Falls, ISU has programs in Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, and Paramedic Science that can be completed on the Idaho Falls campus. ISU also offers several online healthcare programs that students in East Idaho can pursue while getting support from the Idaho Falls campus, through its academic advising, library, math and writing labs, tutoring, veterans services, disability services, counseling center, and campus activities. Students can start these healthcare degree programs straight from high school, after transferring from the College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) or another community college, or as adult learners returning to college long after high school.
Idaho’s Healthcare Institution
The Idaho State Board of Education designates ISU as the leading institution for providing health care programs in the state, including 75% of the health professions degree programs in Idaho. Through distance videoconferencing technology and online courses, East Idaho students have access to world-class instructors in the health professions on ISU’s campuses in Pocatello and Meridian, as well as in Idaho Falls. Supervised clinical affiliations provide essential real-world experience during a student’s degree program, and are an important part of the curriculum for most healthcare programs. Clinical affiliations for nursing, radiographic science, medical laboratory science, and other health professions programs are available in hospitals and clinics from Rexburg to Idaho Falls to Blackfoot to serve east Idaho health professions students.
FHPA Club Unites Students
The Future Health Professionals of America (FHPA) club is the most active club for ISU students in Idaho Falls. In the past year, the FHPA club sponsored their 20th annual Red Cross Blood Drive on campus, and the club collected 533 pints of blood during that time. The club also hosted a “Meet a Professional Night” to give students information about health careers. In addition, students in the club also provided interactive demonstrations to elementary school students at three different events during the year, where they taught children about the skeleton, heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys using plastic models and real sheep organs.
Sierra Condie, a current student in ISU’s Pharmacy Program, says this about the FHPA club in Idaho Falls: “As a shy underclassman, I was nervous about getting involved and didn’t look for leadership opportunities. Eventually, I became a member of the Future Healthcare Professionals of America club and started going to their events. This got me more comfortable meeting new people and participating in volunteer activities.
“I later served as the club’s vice president and president. I met several people this way and developed relationships that enhanced my experience at college. It made me better at organizing events, speaking with new people, and communicating with my peers. I am now more outgoing which has aided me in interviews as well as meeting my new classmates. It made it much easier to run for leadership positions in the College of Pharmacy, which are important to furthering my future career as a pharmacist. I am much more confident going into new situations because of the experience I gained in leadership positions.”
Flexible Offerings
With excellent academic instruction, supportive student services and a variety of activities to provide social opportunities for students, the Idaho Falls campus suits the needs of any student wishing to pursue one of the healthcare programs available in Idaho Falls. “Our healthcare programs are a perfect fit for east Idaho students willing to embrace the Idaho Falls campus as a base of operations for coursework that is offered through a combination of face-to-face instruction, video-conferencing, and online,” says Lyle Castle, Dean of the ISU campus in Idaho Falls.“Idaho Falls has a long tradition of preparing students for careers in the health professions.”
ISU Health Programs in Idaho Falls
Associates Degree Health Programs Fire Services Administration*
Homeland Security and Emergency Management*
Health Information Technology*
Paramedic Science
Bachelor’s Degree Health Programs Fire Services Administration*
Healthcare Administration*+
Health Science*+
Homeland Security and Emergency Management*
Medical Laboratory Science+
Nursing+
Spanish for Health Professions+
Graduate Health Programs
Dental Hygiene*
Health Education*
Health Informatics*
Healthcare Administration*+
Homeland Security & Emergency Management*
Medical Lab Science*+
Nursing*
Public Health*
Speech-Language Pathology*
* Online programs supported by Idaho Falls campus + Mix of in-person and online