Rapid City Area Schools and South Dakota Mines Team Up to Inspire the Next Generation of Healthcare Workers at Scrubs Camp

January 31, 2023
Rapid City Area Schools and South Dakota Mines Team Up to Inspire the Next Generation of Healthcare Workers at Scrubs Camp
Dr. Tyler Bergstrom, a general surgeon at Rapid City Medical Center, is a Mines electrical engineering graduate.

In the coming decade, as the baby boomer generation continue to retire, the need for healthcare workers is expected to increase significantly. The young people of today will play a vital role in meeting the critical healthcare needs of tomorrow.

Rapid City Area Schools (RCAS) and South Dakota Mines are joining forces in an effort to inspire the next generation of health care workers. The RCAS Scrubs Camp, planned for Feb. 2 from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Surbeck Center at South Dakota Mines is one part of this overall effort.  Students in this camp will get hands-on training that introduces them to various healthcare fields.

“Scrubs Camps are designed to increase awareness of education, skills and understanding of health careers available in South Dakota through interactive activities taught by professionals in the health care field,” says Bobbie Jo Donovan, the academy coordinator at RCAS. “Students attending this Scrubs Camp will learn about careers related to nursing, athletic training, dental, mental health, biomedical science, CNA, MA, EMT, paramedic and surgical technician.”

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the healthcare occupations are expected to grow “much faster than the average for all occupations; this increase is expected to result in about 2 million new jobs over the decade. In addition to new jobs from growth, opportunities arise from the need to replace workers who leave their occupations permanently. About 1.9 million openings each year, on average, are projected to come from growth and replacement needs.”

South Dakota Mines offers a range of programs for students interested in the fields of healthcare.  Mines is helping meet the need for frontline healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in a number of pre-med programs.  The university also offers degrees in biology, chemistry and health sciences alongside biomedical engineering for students who want to undertake cutting edge research to help cure diseases like cancer.