Every high school inside of Columbia County school zone offers a clinical health science program for students interested in pursuing careers in the health field.
The limbo of Augusta State University potentially losing their nursing program and connection with Medical College of Georgia has affected some students' plans for the upcoming fall semester. The idea of local students staying home in order to save money and attend one of the most competitive programs in the state is now one that may come crashing down.
Many students in the Greenbrier High School clinical program have strong opinions on the thought of the cut. Greenbrier High School senior Kasey Belanger, who is in the program at Greenbrier and plans on becoming an anesthesiologist, thinks that the idea of cuts is ludicrous.
“I think that the idea of cutting nursing is a poor and unfortunate. They are ruining the future of health care and the students’ hopes. What are they going to do now? They will have to switch colleges and move from home. What about the transfer equivalency of credits?”
The medical field is in constant need of nurses and a possible cut in educating more nurses concerns Greenbrier High School clinical program participant Bayleigh Frerich. She plans to be a nursing student.
“I think the prospect of a cut in health care, where nurses as always needed, is wrong. Why would you cut from a job market that is always in need?” she said.
Although local programs are threatened with the ax, other colleges will still offer the nursing degree program, such as Georgia Southern University. Until all official decisions are made, some students will wait to make the decision as to where they will attend in the fall.
Teen Board Member Krystal White is a senior at Greenbrier High School
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