Labor shortages among clinicians of all types are widely expected to get worse in the coming years. An Alabama high school's surgery lab could mitigate some of the pain.
Chelsea (Ala.) High School opened the first high school surgery lab in the state, FOX affiliate WBRC reported Feb. 14. Students begin training in the 10th grade, and by the time they graduate, they are qualified to work as certified patient care technicians.
High school senior Jessie Holsombeck said that because of the program, she now knows she wants to be a surgeon.
"Through career exploration and this class, I found I am interested in surgery, which I never would have thought before this class and this program," Ms. Holsombeck said. "I never thought that I would have been standing in the operating room this morning. It's quite amazing."