Health + Tech | Career guidance apps expanding students’ horizons in science

Technology can play a transformative role in guiding students and ensuring that they have a broader understanding of the range of health technology and other science-related careers available.

Many young people, particularly high school students, often believe that careers in science are limited to medicine or dentistry. However, emerging technologies, particularly career-guidance apps and online platforms, can expand their understanding of the diverse fields within the sciences especially the health sciences, helping to foster innovation and drive national development.

Career-guidance apps are specifically designed to assist students to determine the career path they would like to take. Introducing students to lesser-known science fields could be a significant step forward. They can offer interactive modules that showcase careers in areas such as biotechnology, environmental science, biomedical engineering, data science, and public health. Artificial intelligence-driven recommendations and personalised assessments can be used to match students to careers based on their interests and strengths. Through virtual mentorship opportunities, students can connect with professionals working in diverse scientific fields, to get a real world feel of what they entail and exposing these students to a range of career paths outside the medical and dental sectors.

Another area where health technology can make a difference is in supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Apps that emphasise research, innovation, and problem-solving can help students appreciate how science can be applied to various fields like agriculture, engineering, or environmental sustainability. These apps can include virtual science innovation challenges, allowing students to develop solutions to real-world problems using scientific knowledge and technology. In addition, project-based learning opportunities within these platforms could offer students virtual labs and simulation tools to conduct scientific experiments, further broadening their understanding of the wide range of science careers.

BUILDING AWARENESS

Another benefit to these platforms is that they can educate students about global and local science challenges, such as climate change, food security, and public health. Students can learn how scientific knowledge is critical to addressing these issues. They could also feature the work of local scientist and their contribution to their respective scientific fields of study from environmental science to space exploration. Let’s not forget the allied health fields which often do not get enough attention. Students can be introduced to health science careers in public health, medical research, or health informatics, which are vital to moving this country forward in the current environment.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to personalise career guidance even further. Using machine learning, apps and online platforms could analyse a student’s preferences and suggest emerging science fields like robotics, the range of fields involving artificial intelligence, or forensic science. This technology would help dispel the myth that science careers are confined to healthcare, emphasising that our innovation potential can grow through expertise in diverse scientific disciplines. AI can steer students toward careers that might otherwise go unexplored by showing them that the sciences encompass much more than just clinical practice.

While apps and AI play an important part in students’ scientific development, the human touch cannot be overstated. Increasing student exposure to various science disciplines through the people who drive these areas, can be very beneficial.These partnerships could give students the opportunity to work on real-world problems alongside scientists, further inspiring them to engage in research and innovation. Schools could also use these technologies to create interactive virtual career fairs, where students explore different science professions using virtual reality.

Health technology presents an exciting opportunity to reshape the way high school students perceive and engage with the sciences. By third form, students generally have to choose a general career path based on interest and aptitude. If we guide them earlier, they could be in a better position by this stage to make more informed choices and steer their subjects towards their objectives.This expanded thinking and exposure can inspire a new generation of innovators in various science and technology fields. This would not only be good for them as individuals, it would also benefit the country as a whole.

Doug Halsall is the chairman and CEO of Advanced Integrated Systems. Email feedback to doug.halsall@gmail.com and editorial@gleanerjm.com.