(2/14/2014)   McLeod Loris Seacoast has partnered with Horry County Schools to host an eight week shadowing program for students in the Pre-Medical careers class at the Academy for Technology and Academics.

The Pre-Medical careers area of the Health Science curriculum allows the students to learn and better understand the areas of safety, infection control, communication, qualities of a healthcare worker, legal responsibilities, ethics, teamwork, nutrition, preventative healthcare, and more. They are trained in technical skills that include vital sign assessment, CPR certification and first aid assessment. 

After completing the course, students are better prepared for a variety of diverse post-secondary educational opportunities, from a two-year college program to a four-year degree and graduate programs.  Pre-Medicine introduces students to a variety of career opportunities such as physician, nursing, dentistry, hospital administration, nutritionist, medical research, laboratory technician, radiology, pharmacy, fitness training, physician assistant and rehabilitation services.

"The students are amazed at the various careers that it takes to make a hospital system successful," said Teresa R. Nirenstein, DC, Health Science/Pre-Med Instructor at the Academy for Technology and Academics. "Our focus is to prepare students to be successful in their post-secondary education.  As many as 60% of first year students are eliminated from healthcare careers programs or from majors that focus on science; my personal goal is for my students to be in the 40% that make it to the next level of their program.   If they make it through their first two years in college successfully, I believe that we did our job."

The program is open to juniors and seniors from area high schools and currently consists of 12 seniors from Aynor, Carolina Forest, Conway, Green Sea and Loris High Schools. They will be spending time in various departments throughout McLeod Loris Seacoast facilities over the coming weeks.

About McLeod Loris and McLeod Seacoast                         

McLeod Loris and McLeod Seacoast provide care for residents of northern Horry County, South Carolina, and southern Brunswick and Columbus Counties in North Carolina. Founded in 1950, McLeod Loris is a fully-accredited acute care facility with 105 licensed beds.  McLeod Seacoast opened in 2000 as an outpatient facility.  In July 2011, McLeod Seacoast began providing inpatient care as a 50-bed hospital. On January 9, 2012, both facilities became part of the McLeod family of quality healthcare facilities.  Other facilities located in Horry County affiliated with McLeod Health are Loris Extended Care Center and the Center for Health and Fitness.