Student Hub
Whether you already know you want a career in health care or you are just beginning to explore your options, the Healthcare Horizons Student Hub is here to help you take the next step.
Discover opportunities to gain real-world experience, explore education pathways, connect with local health care and community organizations, and find resources that can help you move from curiosity to action.
Experiential Learning
Healthcare Horizons is only the beginning. If a career, department, or area of health care sparked your interest, there may be opportunities to continue exploring through job shadowing, experiential learning, community programs, and future Health Care Horizons initiatives.
These opportunities can help students learn more about what a profession is really like, ask deeper questions, and connect classroom learning with real health care environments.
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance offers job shadowing and co-op opportunities for high school students, allowing you to take the next step in exploring health care careers directly within the hospital environment.
SHSM & High School
Your health care journey can begin while you are still in high school. Through Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM), cooperative education, dual credit opportunities, guidance support, and other school-based experiences, you can begin exploring health care careers while developing skills and experiences that can help prepare you for your next step.
Not sure where to start? Talk you your school's Guidance Department or SHSM Lead and let them know what area of health care you're interested in exploring.
SHSM
SHSM allows students to focus part of their high school experience on a specific sector, including health. Students can participate in learning, certifications, experiential opportunities, and connections with community and post-secondary partners.
Dual Credit
Dual credit programs can allow eligible students to experience college-level learning while still in high school, helping you explore post-secondary education and become more familiar with college environments and expectations.
Co-Op
Co-op can give students an opportunity to learn in a workplace or community setting while earning secondary school credits. Healthcare-related placements may help students explore different environments, professions, and workplace expectations.
Guidance Planning
Guidance Departments can help you understand prerequisites, course selection, post-secondary admission requirements, and opportunities available through your school.
College & University
Once you begin identifying health care careers that interest you, the next step is understanding the education required to get there. Health care programs can have very different admission requirements, program lengths, clinical experiences, and credentials, so planning ahead can make the transition from high school to post-secondary education much easier.
Prerequisites
Review the Grade 11 and 12 courses required for the programs you are considering. Health care programs may require specific English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, or other science courses. Requirements can differ between colleges, universities, and individual programs.
Compare Programs
Look beyond the program title. Consider program length, location, tuition, clinical or placement opportunities, admission competitiveness, professional certification requirements, and the types of careers graduates may pursue.
Explore Pathways
There is often more than one route into health care. Certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, degrees, graduate certificates, apprenticeships, and other training pathways can lead to different roles throughout the health care system.
Plan Ahead
Speak with guidance counsellors, attend open houses, explore program websites, and ask questions early. Understanding admission requirements ahead of time can help you make informed decisions about courses, applications, and future opportunities.
Financial Aid
The cost of post-secondary education is an important part of planning your future. You may be able to access scholarships, bursaries, grants, government financial assistance, awards, and other supports to help with tuition, books, transportation, equipment, and living expenses.
Scholarships & Awards
Scholarships and awards may be available through colleges, universities, community organizations, health care organizations, foundations, service clubs, and other groups. Some are based on academic achievement, while others recognize community involvement, leadership, financial need, or specific career interests.
Government Financial Assistance
Ontario students may be eligible for provincial and federal financial assistance to help with the cost of post-secondary education. Eligibility and available funding can depend on factors such as income, program, course load, and personal circumstances.
Bursaries & Grants
Bursaries and grants are another source of financial support and may be based on financial need, program of study, personal circumstances, or other eligibility requirements. Unlike loans, many of these supports do not need to be repaid.
Ask the School
Colleges and universities often have financial-aid offices that can help students understand scholarships, bursaries, payment plans, government assistance, and other supports available through the institution.
Ontario Learn and Stay Grant
Planning to study in an eligible health care program? The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant may help cover eligible educational costs, including tuition, compulsory fees, books, and required supplies or equipment, for students studying in priority health care programs and communities.
In return, recipients agree to work in the same service region where they studied after graduation. At St. Clair College, currently eligible programs include:
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BScN / Collaborative Nursing - Chatham & Windsor
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Practical Nursing - Chatham & Windsor
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Medical Laboratory Science - Windsor
*Eligibility, approved programs, regions, and funding requirements can change. Always review the current Ontario Learn and Stay Grant requirements before applying.
Educational Pathways
St Clair College
Through St. Clair College, students can explore a wide range of nursing, allied health, diagnostic, emergency, laboratory, rehabilitation, and health care technology programs that can lead to careers throughout Chatham-Kent and beyond.
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor offers programs that can prepare students for careers in direct patient care, health sciences, research, rehabilitation, community health, and other areas that contribute to healthcare and wellness.
From nursing and kinesiology to science, psychology, social work, and other health-related fields, students can explore university education that connects their interests with future health care careers.