One class at CP partners with medical offices and pharmacies to allow students to gain knowledge of their interested medical field with hands-on learning and experience. To qualify for this class, seniors must pass the Health Science Theory class  and certification test. For two class periods, 6th and 7th, practicum students shadow medical staff during their externship to learn more about day-to-day activities as well as what a particular field is all about. Below are three classes that are available for students who have taken one-two specific health science courses of their choosing. 

Pharmacy Tech:

Pharmacy tech students learn how to engage with customers, refill prescriptions, and restock. This class is limited to three pharmacies, all with limited amounts of spots for externships.

“In pharmacy we fill prescriptions, give customers their prescriptions through the drive through or walk up window, and restock drugs,” Walgreens Pharmacy assistant Ava Fackler said. 

Students are given three pharmacy options that include:

• Walgreens Pharmacy
• College Park Pharmacy
• Pinecroft Pharmacy

Dental Assisting:

Dental assisting has just become available this year for students. These students interact with patients and shadow their specific doctors during appointments and procedures.  

Dental assisting students are given more freedom in choosing their office. Some examples include but are not limited to:

• Victory Smiles
• Hughes Cozad Orthodontists
• GKG Dentistry

Medical Assisting:

Medical assisting students may learn how to schedule appointments as well as engage with patients during exams. More hands-on experiences may be assisting a doctor in running tests. 

“For my clinical site, I went to AdvaCardio, which is a cardiology office,” Jordan Kastor said. “On Mondays I would help administratively by printing out patient charts, scheduling appointments, and calling patients to discuss their appointment. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I would help in the testing center with stress tests, echos, and a series of other tests.”

Medical assisting has the most freedom in choosing an office, as they can have their externship at more specific kinds of medical practices. Some examples of fields include but are not limited to:

• Nursing homes
• Endocrinology
• Cardiology

Up until last Wednesday, these students worked and studied at their own offices to take a test at the end of the year to gain their certification in their specific field. Soon, many will be certified and able to work in internships and jobs all over The Woodlands.