School Producing Valuable Allies for Patients

The School of Allied Health Sciences has received record numbers of applications for various programs in Amarillo, Lubbock and the Permian Basin. To date, projected enrollment is expected to exceed 1,250 for the fall 2011 semester.

In addition to the school’s record-breaking enrollment, allied health sciences students in speech-language pathology, clinical laboratory sciences, athletic training and physician assistant studies have surpassed national averages on key licensure and certification exams.

Nationally, allied health sciences careers are gaining popularity. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 20 fastest-growing occupations in the U.S., eight of them are in health care many of them falling under allied health sciences.

Allied health sciences professionals make up an estimated 60 percent of America’s total health workforce. According to the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, allied health sciences professionals are involved with the delivery of health or related services pertaining to the identification, evaluation and prevention of diseases and disorders; dietary and nutrition services; rehabilitation and health systems management; and others.

While all allied health sciences fields anticipate growth in the coming years as the elderly population continues to increase, the fastest-growing allied health sciences careers include physician assistants, physical therapists, athletic trainers and clinical laboratory technologists.

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