Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Buffalo's D'Youville College is accelerating graduations for more than 100 students in the fields of Physician-Assistant, Nursing and Pharmacy to get them into the workforce.
"We're looking at probably 140 students that are nearly ready to be in the healthcare field," said D'Youville President Dr. Lorrie Clemo. "They're ready as a result of our partnerships with local hospitals. The students have been given telemedicine or clinical opportunities to finish their classroom requirements." They would be entering the workforce about four weeks in advance of their scheduled graduation.
"It's D'Youville's mission to serve, and we put out heads together to help out as a second wave in the event the current workforce gets sick," she said..
The students are ready. "They're very much ready to step into the workforce. Of course, we're all nervous about the infection itself, but this is their passion. They've been studying for 4 or 6 years. And they want to serve their community."
To further encourage these students, D'Youville is providing these students a $1,000 bonus if they opt to accelerate their education to assist in the battle against covid-19. The graduation bonus can be used for rent or a down payment on a house anywhere in NYS.