Do you have these “symptoms”? You find yourself reading about new medical research findings. You actually enjoy visiting the doctor because you always learn something new about your body; and you love helping others to restore their health and happiness to live long, fulfilling lives. If you do, then furthering your education to become a healthcare professional may be the path for you. Gannon University offers a variety of first-class doctorate and master’s programs, and an accelerated bachelor’s program aimed at taking you from undergrad to grad in less time. They will enable you to enter the worlds of nursing, athletics training, occupational therapy, physical therapy, sport and exercise science, and more, all as a highly sought-after leader. Making the leap to become a healthcare professional starts you on an exciting and challenging journey. Here’s how to know if your “symptoms” are calling you to Gannon to achieve a new career in healthcare. You are comfortable with teamwork Teamwork is essential to the provision of the best patient care, since outcomes depend on how well the members of the medical team perform their specific functions. In your work as a healthcare practitioner, it will be necessary to be able to work with people of diverse backgrounds, personalities, and interests. Respect, understanding, and a sense of cultural sensitivity are traits that make for effective collaboration, whether with fellow medical team members and patients, or in the classroom with other students. Gannon’s Patient Simulation Center was designed to familiarize students with this kind of teamwork. The Patient Simulation Center mimics a clinical setting, using the kinds of protocols that graduates will encounter in their working lives. Students can practice scenarios that may be seen only rarely in clinical practice, in order to become prepared for everything, as well as learning to execute common procedures to really hone their skills. This groundbreaking center brings together Gannon students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines – nurses, occupational therapists, athletics trainers, and more – for collaborative learning. Developing skills in a simulated environment like this is also the best way to really see what it is like to work hand-in-hand with members of a team having various areas of medical expertise, communication styles, and backgrounds – just as it is in the real world. You are capable of empathetic care Do people feel comfortable with you? Do you have a strong sense of empathy with those for whom you are caring? In this helping profession you will need generous reserves of compassion, empathy, patience, and passion. These characteristics will translate into quality care and happiness, both for you in your career and for your patients when attended to by you. While many healthcare professionals care for their patients at the physical level, it’s important to remember that healthcare is not just about physical health. There is also emotional and mental well-being. Patients need to know you empathize with their pain and suffering. They want to be treated by professionals who are compassionate, who provide comfort, and who have a genuine and evident interest in improving their health. When studying at Gannon, students learn these skills both from their experienced professors in close-knit classroom settings (average student to teacher ratio is 13:1) and in real-world care, by getting involved in the community and the local health care system. Set in the middle of Erie, in close proximity to local organizations and three hospitals, Gannon University is in a prime location for integrating with the community. Students and alumni are able to take exclusive jobs, and internships, and participate in experiences set up through the school, all of them near campus. For example, some of our Occupational Therapy students took part in a program working with patients with Parkinson’s disease at the Salvation Army Senior Center, providing direct assistance and developing mutually beneficial, therapeutic relationships with the participants. Sport and Exercise Science and Athletic Training students have had opportunities to work with athletes to help treat and rehabilitate healthy and injured bodies. It’s real-world experiences like these that help students to accelerate their education, build relationships with the community and with patients, and refine their leadership and philanthropic skills. You want to get your degree in a shorter amount of time, in a career area with explosive growth According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupations as a whole will grow by 28 percent by 2022. In fact, six of the ten fastest-growing jobs in America are in the healthcare sector. Yet, the number of graduates from professional health care programs is limited, at the very same time that there is a need for more and more professional healthcare workers. Here are the expected growth rates for a few of the fastest-growing medical professions (all of which you can study at Gannon): occupational therapy assistants (43 percent), physical therapist assistant (41 percent), nurse practitioners (35 percent), physical therapists (34 percent), physician assistants (30 percent), and many more. Gannon offers the opportunity to accelerate your education, to quickly become a highly sought-after leader in the medical field. Over 90 percent of Gannon grads obtain a job in their specialist field. The university also offers over 15 different medical school agreements with top-rated partner universities in the US and internationally, giving students the opportunity to accelerate their education and careers. You believe in lifelong learning We are in a knowledge economy and it’s essential to keep yourself updated with advances in medicine, technology, and science. When you are well informed, you gain trust and thus feel empowered. As with technology, the medical scene is always changing, and continuous education will help you stay up to date. This means that even after graduating, it is important for healthcare professionals to stay current in their education. Gannon offers 100% online classes to fit your busy schedule, so you can continue your education while working in your new career. You exhibit a strong sense of ethics Is taking pride in doing the right thing a characteristic of yours? If so, then you can be one of the healthcare professionals who truly make a difference. These professionals have an unwavering moral code and never compromise their integrity or values. They are mindful of confidentiality requirements, different cultures and traditions, and they always respect the wishes of their patients. An education at Gannon is grounded in Catholic faith, leadership, inclusiveness, and social responsibility. It’s this combination of a top-notch education with faith that prepares students to make the grounded and careful decisions necessary when working as a successful healthcare professional. You believe in lifelong learning We live in a knowledge economy, and unless you keep yourself updated with advances in medicine, technology, and science, you will feel inadequate in your work. When you are well informed, you gain trust and thus feel empowered. Like technology, the medical scene is always changing, and continuous education will help you stay current. This means that even after graduating, it is important for health care professionals to stay current in their education. Gannon offers 100 percent online classes to fit your busy schedule so you can continue your education while working in your new career. Do these “symptoms” sound familiar to you? If these signs are leading the way for you, then you could be a prime candidate for a career in healthcare. Earning a health professions degree from Gannon University is a great way to get started on your path. Find out more at Gannon.edu.