One of the most memorable aspects of Pacific University’s Health Professions Expo is students and professionals discussing potential careers in physical therapy, laughing and having a good time, said assistant director and pathway coordinator at the Career Development Center Katie Lardy.
The Health Professions Expo is designed to help students interested in the health professions decide which field they want to pursue a career in.
This is Lardy’s sixth year putting the event together, and when she gets speakers to come to the event, she reaches out to alumni, working professionals, practitioners, faculty at the Health Professions Campus and representatives from local healthcare organizations.
Pacific’s graduate and professional admissions, National College of Natural Medicine, and University of Western states, are among the organizations sending representatives to the event this year.
One professional is placed at each table, and students registered to attend this year’s event will be able to learn about their profession of interest from a practitioner in that field.
Lardy added that the setting for the event is informal, people are able to tell stories of their experiences, and students get the chance to ask questions.
This year’s expo will be held March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room, and the list of professionals that will be there includes an audiologist, medical doctor, occupational therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician assistant and speech language pathologist.
The expo also allows students to develop their networking skills by speaking with healthcare professionals. Lardy cited examples of students who attended the event becoming physical therapy aides, as opportunities that resulted from networking with professionals at the expo.
The health professions are an area of interest at Pacific, and with this expo, Lardy is more than happy to be able to “provide career related opportunities to respond to student’s needs.”
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