A growing, steady job market awaits those who gain certificates, diplomas and degrees from Tri-County Technical College’s Health Professions division, with the college maintaining a near perfect job placement rate for division graduates.
Health Professions programs range from Medical Laboratory Technology and Emergency Medical Technology (EMT) to Surgical Technology, Expanded Duty Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting and Pre-pharmacy.
“Our programs are very specific as far as job placement,” said Donna Palmer, head of the Health Professions Department at Tri-County Tech. “We generally have a 100 percent placement rate. Our students enter the workforce through their clinical affiliations and externships that they do as part of the curriculum, so many of our students have jobs before they graduate.”
Population growth in Anderson and surrounding counties has generated an increase in the number of medical and dental offices in the area, making medical assisting one of the college’s fast-growing programs, Palmer said.
Medical assistants perform a variety of tasks, from taking vital signs and medical histories to providing medications, maintaining health records and drawing blood.
“You see these students working in physician offices. Many people mistake them for nurses, but many times they’re medical assistants,” Palmer said. “That field is wide open, and it makes things a little more diverse so you’re not doing the same thing every day, all day.”
Paramedicine jobs also are in high demand in the area.
“A student that has already graduated as a basic EMT or an advanced EMT can come to Tri-County and get the paramedic certificate in three semesters,” Palmer said.
In addition to certifications, Tri-County Tech offers associate degrees in Medical Laboratory Technology and Surgical Technology. Diploma programs are Medical Assisting, Expanded Duty Dental Assisting and Pre-pharmacy.
“Pre-pharmacy is an entryway into pharmacy school,” Palmer explained. “A lot of people think that you have to have a four-year degree to get into pharmacy school. You do not. You just have to have the courses that the pharmacy schools require.”
Tri-County Technical College maintains articulation agreements with South Carolina pharmacy schools, as well as Wingate University in North Carolina. Once a student finishes the Pre-pharmacy curriculum at Tri-County, they can apply to pharmacy school, Palmer said. Tri-County even offers a course that helps students who are taking the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT).
Starting salaries vary according to the specific career chosen, but those graduating from Tri-County’s Health Professions program can expect to start out making $34,000 to $48,000 plus benefits, Palmer said.
Those applying for health professions programs at Tri-County Technical College need a strong background in science, which includes high school classes in biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, Palmer said.
Students interested in Tri-County’s Health Professions division can go HERE for information on individual programs.
“I would also suggest that they contact the program directors themselves,” Palmer said. “They are the experts in their field and can give the fine details needed to be successful in their programs.”
The admissions deadline for fall semester is Aug. 12 and classes begin on Aug. 23.
For more information, call (864) 646-8282.
