STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Wisconsin needs to fill more than 12,500 health care jobs in 2023, according to the Department of Workforce Development.

Some central Wisconsin high school seniors hope to one day fill the state’s health care worker shortage. 

What You Need To Know

  • In Mr. Marty's medical intervention class, students explore the world of health care

  • Students immerse themselves in simulations of real-world medical procedures, such as a lumbar puncture to test their "patients" for potential symptoms of meningitis

  • Greg Marty combines his love of sports and the human body in his medical interventions class

Stevens Point Area High Senior High (SPASH) students are getting hands-on experience with medical procedures through Mr. Marty’s Medical Intervention Class.

Greg Marty, aka Mr. Marty, has been teaching at SPASH for seven years. His specialty is the human body. Marty said his love of the subject started as a student.

“When I was in high school, honestly, it was an anatomy and physiology class and my instructor that I had just kind of introduced me to the medical field and human body,” Marty said.

Marty said after a few years of working as an athletic trainer at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, he decided to combine his love of sports and the human body and become a teacher.

He said he’s happy instructing future medical professionals.

“It’s really exciting. Knowing that within my class, every day I get to teach students that I could see them out in the community the next time that I go to the hospital or the clinic,” Marty said.

High schoolers in his class are immersed in real-world health care crises and learn complex medical procedures.

“We were introduced to a case of an outbreak at a university on a campus, and students had to figure out what was the pathogen that was affecting those students and then from there, we learned how to do a lumbar puncture,” Marty said.

Through lab exercises, students also learn about antibiotic resistance.

Annina LeCapitanne is a senior. She has a personal reason for pursuing a career in health care.

“I’ve always been interested in the medical field, especially coming from somebody who has a father with polio,” LeCapitanne said.

LeCapitanne said Marty’s hands-on science class gives her the confidence to pursue her health career.

“It just helps me realize that I want to help some of those diseases or viruses. So, I think it’s just helped me realize that I want to be in the medical field even more,” LeCapitanne said.

Marty said it’s humbling to know he’s helping to inspire the next generation of medical professionals.

“Knowing that I’m directly affecting and able to help students and able to fill the void that there is in the health care community is exciting. I mean, it’s one of the reasons why I show up each day,” Marty said.

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