The Lebanon Community School District, and COMP-Northwest have partnered to create a career ladder to guide and promote students from Lebanon and surrounding communities through their education and into successful careers (especially as health care professionals). Dr. Philip Pumerantz, Founding President of Western University of Health Sciences and COMP, championed the idea of a “Career Ladder” since 1983. “Pipeline” projects such as this one are typically divided into two types: programs that work with “downstream” students, defined as those who are near the health professional stages of their education; or “upstream” students, defined as K-12. The Lebanon Health Career Ladder is unique, connecting both the upstream and downstream components in a long-term, multi-institution cooperative arrangement.
Health Career Ladder (HCL)
The Career Ladder fosters interest in post-secondary education, the health professions, develops math and science skills, and guides students toward an undergraduate degree and into a career of their choosing through a program-based network of outreach, guidance, mentoring and financial counseling. The ultimate goal is to create, explore, and develop college and career goals and objectives.
The program also gives students a goal to aspire to, a vision of future possibilities.
“This gives children a chance to become successful and to make a contribution to society,” said Dr. Pumerantz “It’s to give children in the school system a view of what their future could be.”
An Advisory Board consisting of scholars and health professionals from all participating institutions is in place to guide the curriculum, design the Biomedical Scholar Program, and develop the process of mentoring and moving students through the ladder.