#301 ·
analogseal18 said:I don't find you particularly well-informed on this matter.
With the transition to a nine-year K-12 system, there is a proposal to introduce a kindergarten-style preparatory year, where children undergo the necessary foundational training that is currently handled in preschool—but under a structured curriculum rather than just a "play whenever we feel like it" approach. We are talking about learning how to retell stories, counting with actual comprehension, and mastering basic penmanship. While most kids seem to have these skills down, the reality is that they don't, and the disparity in readiness among incoming first graders is staggering; those who arrive without these basics struggle immensely to grasp reading, writing, and math. One could argue this can be rectified if parents step up, but isn't it far more logical to instill these habits early on rather than burdening students with extra hours of remedial homework once school has already begun?
Regarding vocational nursing programs, the curriculum remains just as rigorous as it was under the old four-year models. Students still retain the theoretical path to medical school; they simply need to excel on their high school exit exams and pass the university entrance tests. Even now, only a select few manage to achieve that. This is because the requirements for medical school demand a much broader spectrum of knowledge than mere patient care—which is the core focus for a nurse—whereas doctors primarily require a different subset of that expertise.
Those who graduate from a specialized nursing high school do not possess some sort of "lite version" of medical knowledge, nor are they halfway to becoming physicians; furthermore, medical school professors do not waste precious lecture time re-teaching what was already covered in vocational training. Instead, they move straight into advanced coursework that requires a broad intellectual foundation and the mental stamina to process massive amounts of data into cohesive knowledge. These specific cognitive skills are cultivated in a traditional American preparatory high school if one is a high-achieving student. It is important to remember that even a top-tier student from an elite prep school does not automatically possess the capacity to survive medical school.
😁
Honestly, this is just repackaging everything kids used to do in preschool, except now it’s being moved into a school building instead of a daycare center, and instead of just twice a week (about 250 hours a year), it’ll be every single day (that's 600 hours!). Like I said before, it feels like we're just conditioning these little kids from the moment they can walk to sit still and take it, basically introducing them to a life of labor without any actual downtime.😁
As far as nursing vocational schools go, they aren't teaching anything less or any differently than they did under the old four-year program. And theoretically, they can still apply to medical school after. They just need to absolutely crush the advanced level of their high school exams and pass the entrance tests. Even now, only a tiny handful actually pull it off. That's because the requirements for med school demand a much deeper, broader knowledge base than just patient care, which is really the core subject matter for a future nurse, whereas doctors only need a smaller slice of that specific knowledge.
Those who graduated from a vocational nursing program don't just have "some basics" to become a doctor, and it's definitely not true that they are halfway there in terms of knowledge. Med school professors don't waste their time teaching students things that were already covered in vocational school; they move straight into entirely different courses where it's vital for students to have a broad foundation, the mental stamina to absorb massive amounts of data, and the ability to synthesize it all. You pick up those skills in a traditional high school if you're a top-tier student. Not every high schooler even has the capacity to make it through med school.
They aren't learning anything less or different than when it was a four-year program.🤦
Having general education subjects for all four years versus just the first two is a huge distinction—it's not the same thing as constantly honing your skills every day before taking finals versus having a three-year gap in your knowledge for the exact same subject.
In this reform, just like every other overhaul they try to push through here in the States, the main goal is just to be able to say "we implemented a reform." It doesn't matter if the reform actually drags us back ten years... the important part is pretending to push through some European-style ideals, regardless of whether they actually work in practice.
Medicine is medicine, and specialized subjects are specialized subjects. This idea that a doctor only needs a small portion of what a nurse learns is just proof that you're talking about something you don't understand...
Under the current educational model, a nurse with higher certification (knowledge-wise) actually has a much greater advantage over a doctor who just barely walked out of med school... by the time they finish their vocational training, their level of knowledge is on par with a third-year med student, if not higher....
Look, it’s a whole different ballgame when we start asking ourselves if having some fancy piece of paper actually matters more than just being damn good at what you do. I mean, what are we even doing here? Are we really going to prioritize checking boxes to make sure everything lines up perfectly with some bureaucratic federal mandate, even when those rules don't make sense for the job, instead of focusing on providing actual, high-quality vocational training that people can actually use? It’s wild, right? We’re basically deciding whether we want mindless compliance or the kind of real-world expertise that everyone—literally everyone—is counting on to keep things running smoothly.
