SueAnn Shiffer loves the idea of going to school in her own hometown.
Now working as a receptionist for a Miles Medical Group physician practice, Shiffer, 19, wants to become a nurse because she is driven to help people. The new Lincoln County Healthcare Education Center brings that dream close to home.
“I am so excited,” said Shiffer, of Damariscotta. “If I can get the degree right in town where I live, why not do it?”
Shiffer, 19, a graduate of Lincoln Academy, was one of many people of all ages who attended a rescheduled open house at the Education Center on Dec. 11.
A partnership of Central Maine Community College in Auburn and Lincoln County Healthcare, the school opened this fall, offering a two-year nursing degree program, the first degree program in Lincoln County.
The new school meets a need in Maine, where there is a shortage of both nurses and seats in nursing school programs. About 600 people are on waiting lists around the state.
By offering a program close to home, the Education Center makes a rewarding career much more accessible to people from the area, like Shiffer.
Classes for the upcoming semester start on Jan. 12. While students are allowed to register for classes up to that date, they are strongly encouraged to register by Jan. 2. Classes are sometimes canceled if too few people have enrolled by that date.
Classes offered during the upcoming semester include Critical Thinking, Public Speaking, and Developmental Psychology, all of which are either required or electives for the nursing program.
Medical Terminology, for people interested in medical coding or medical transcription, will also be offered.
The deadline for application materials for next year’s nursing program is Jan. 31.
The Nurse Entrance Test will be given at Miles Memorial Hospital in the third floor boardroom on Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. until noon. Those interested can register online at www.eriworld.com/Net, or by calling 1-800-299-EXAM. The registration deadline is 14 days prior to the test date. There is a $10 late fee after that deadline.
For more information, call Bryan Wallace, Central Maine Community College Student Services Representative, at 740-0112, or go online to www.cmcc.edu.