Hybrid learning – part in the classroom and part remote – is a fact of life in today’s world of higher education. Carlow University is no exception. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which re-ordered so much about the location and procedure of learning at all levels, Carlow academic programs have been in a continual process of adaptation. It has always been Carlow’s aim to meet students where they are. Now technology is allowing that policy to become more literal than ever, resulting in more flexibility for students around jobs, family, and other responsibilities without sacrificing academic rigor.
The following is part of a series profiling hybrid students at Carlow.
Amy Koren’s healthcare career has taken many paths. Currently working for the VA as a reginstered nurse (RN), Koren is now pursuing her next step: becoming a primary care provider through Carlow University’s hybrid nurse practitioner program.
Before getting her RN, Koren worked as an athletic trainer and physician extender with UPMC Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. A stint in medical device sales further shaped her understanding of patient care. It was a colleague at the VA, an alum of Carlow, who recommended the university’s FNP (family nurse practitioner) program. The flexibility of combining online and in-person coursework was critical for Amy, allowing her to balance her professional and academic responsibilities.
“Having that support for working professionals, for adult learners, has really been crucial,” she says. “Carlow’s not one of those schools that’s just putting things out there. They have a more reputable program, especially for working students.”
Currently, Koren’s clinicals focus on primary care in rural areas, a personal passion of hers. “I’ve always wanted to help manage people’s healthcare, so they stay out of the ER. I’m excited to dig into primary care, especially in rural medicine,” she shares.
One of the biggest challenges for any nurse practitioner student is securing clinical placements. “You’re fighting to get clinical rotations in a rural area, but Carlow’s reputation helps make it easier for me to get clinical placements,” Amy said. “If I can’t secure a spot myself, Carlow will coordinate it for me.”
This kind of hands-on support sets Carlow apart, especially compared to fully online programs, Amy explained. “The fact that they’re so readily available to help me and to go out of their way, even if it’s not their class, to really find a way like what is working for me and how do I learn… it wouldn’t have been possible for me to be successful.”
Looking ahead, Koren is eager to apply her growing knowledge to her role at the VA. “Carlow has already given me more than I could ever have asked for as a graduate student,” she says. “I knew I needed to go to a reputable program somewhere that had a lot of support… I wanted to be challenged so that I can then in my next step really kind of hit the gas and hit the ground running.”
As a primary care provider, she plans to continue with the VA. “I feel it’s so rewarding to work with these people who have given so much of themselves in service. It’s just a different type of purpose”