New Science Curriculum is Solving the Shortage of U.S. Healthcare Professionals

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated Science Program (ISP)®, a division of Lifelong Education Institute (LEI), is playing a major role in filling a gap in the U.S. economy and the national healthcare infrastructure.

It is a well known fact that the U.S. currently has a shortage of doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other healthcare professionals.  This trend will only get worse as baby boomers get older and as healthcare becomes more widely available to Americans.  

Presently, the US has both a high unemployment rate and jobs that are going unfilled.  ISP offers an effective solution to this paradox by creating a way for adult workers to retrain and retool their skill sets so that they can better meet this growing demand.  "Specifically, Integrated Science Program offers working adults a chance to learn science easier and quicker than traditional methods.  These classes fulfill pre-requisites that can be transferred to healthcare programs at universities across the U.S.," explained Dr. Francisco Leite who is one of the key founders of the ISP concept and a critical driving force behind its success.

Since 2008, hundreds of working adults have enrolled in ISP on a monthly basis, obtained the necessary knowledge and skills to change their careers and entered the healthcare workforce with confidence and success.

"When the real estate market crashed, I decided to get a second career - go back to school and get my nursing degree," said one former pre-nursing student. "I investigated further with ISP. I found out they were accredited, which was very important to me and my college, and decided to go there because it worked around my schedule of work, was convenient, and quick. It is a very, very good education. Great instructors. Everybody is in the medical field and so, as a nurse, you have networking opportunities for later on."

These accredited science classes qualify not only as pre-requisites for many major universities, but also serve as a solid foundation of knowledge in areas of anatomy and physiology, microbiology, chemistry, biology, physics and other classes that are normally difficult for most people.  This is because the ISP format teaches materials more effectively - in a block format, one subject at a time.

"The classes were extremely thorough," said one alumnus. "I learned more in my anatomy and physiology classes through the ISP program than I did in my other classes in college."

For one month students focus their attention on just one course; very similar to medical school and many summer programs. By following this format, not only do those who sign-up for ISP classes get course credit in just four weeks time, but they retain and learn the subject matter much quicker and better.

This allows students to take a majority of their prerequisite science courses in just months and not years. It also ideally prepares graduates for their next chapter in life – be it a career in nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, medicine, or any other health care related profession.

"When I became aware of the huge gap in the health care educational system and its direct correlation to the shortage of health care professionals, I decided to do something about it," said Dr. Leite. "I believe the most expedient solution is to help students learn more effectively and efficiently and move them into the work force as quickly as possible.  This is the primary aim of ISP.  I don't know of any other health science program taking this approach."  Dr. Leite leverages 30 years of experience in the educational field with a focus on improving educational systems and developing new approaches and methods.

Integrated Science Program (ISP), a division of Lifelong Education Institute (LEI) with headquarters in San Francisco, CA is currently being offered under contract with Southern California University Health Sciences, accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges, and is currently expanding its offering to other parts in the country in partnership with other universities and accredited educational institutions.

For more information on courses, tuition & fees, or other general information, please contact Integrated Science Program at 1-877-477-7242, and online at http://www.integratedscienceprogram.com.

SOURCE Integrated Science Program