NewsWest 9
OJINAGA - It's the first bilingual nursing school in Chihuahua, Mexico, set up right across the border in Ojinaga.
The University of Technology in Ojinaga will soon be joined by a brand new bilingual School of Nursing.
It's impact won't just be seen in Ojinaga but on both sides of the border.
"These students will have a double opportunity, to study in Chihuahua just like in the U.S. Not just that, but to also add another language to their vocabulary," Mayor of Ojinaga, Miguel Carreon Rohana, said.
The City of Ojinaga is reaching out to all nursing students to study abroad in their brand new bilingual School of Nursing and Neurology.
"The difference from this school and the other nursing and neurology schools we have in Chihuahua, is this one is bilingual. This came from the need for nurses and medics in the United States that exists," Carreon Rohana said.
The need for bilingual medical professionals grows by the minute. While many might be reluctant to study abroad because of school credits they need, this new school will already comply.
"Administrators are in talks with universities in the U.S. to have a conjoined effort on this plan and that it complies with the academic standards needed in the U.S. and also in Mexico," Carreon Rohana said.
Mayor Carreon says he sees the future of his city like an Alpine with Sul Ross State University. He wants Ojinaga to be a place to call home for those pursuing higher education.
"We are in the stages of offering one of the best career paths with the best professors, with the best education systems that exist in all of Mexico," Carreon Rohana said.
The impact of the nursing school won't just be beneficial to the student's career, it will also heavily impact the border economy.
"One student that's from out of town will spend more money locally in the city where they study because they have to pay rent, pay utilities, enjoy themselves, they need to eat," Carreon Rohana said.
A new medical clinic is also on the way to Ojinaga. It's the first of its kind with specialists in surgery and top-of-the-line technology.
With this School of Nursing follows a graduate school planned to be ready by next year.
