07/31/24
Gadsden State starts Medical Assistant Program, hires director
阿拉巴马州的加兹登. – love爱博 is launching a new Medical Assistant Program that offers students a gateway to a rapidly growing healthcare field. 该项目将于8月开放. 19 at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. 现正接受申请.
Dr. Susan Thrasher has been hired as the director of the Medical Assistant Program.
“我们正在提供实践培训, modern facilities and comprehensive coursework to equip students with the skills necessary for a successful career in medical assistance,”她说。. “It’s going to be incredible for the students who earn a degree at Gadsden State. 这个学位将赋予他们权力. 它将赋予社区权力. 知识赋予人们力量.”
Thrasher’s 42-year career started well before she put on her scrubs and started her training. 作为一个孩子, she had some health issues that required doctors’ visits and hospital stays, so she was exposed to many healthcare workers.
“I was especially drawn to the medical assistants because they were so wonderful to me,”她说。. “我知道这就是我想做的.”
After she graduated from Hokes Bluff High School, Thrasher attended Gadsden State and then Birmingham’s Regional Technical Institute, where she earned an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting in 1982.
She then went to work as a certified medical assistant for a physician in Birmingham for over six years. She landed a job as the assistant director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heart Station for the next three years.
In 1992, Thrasher started commuting to Chattanooga four days a week to work as a medical assistant at the office of Dr. 马克Heinsohn. It was there that she was encouraged to become a registered nurse.
“He needed a nurse, and he said that he wanted that nurse to be me,瑟拉什说。.
1997年4月, 同时在UAB学习护理课程, she landed a job closer to her Hokes Bluff home as a nurse and lead patient coordinator for the Surgical Unit at Gadsden Regional Medical Center. Four months later, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UAB.
After more than 13 years at Gadsden Regional, Thrasher went to Hokes Bluff Middle School as the on-site nurse. During this time, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama.
“I wanted to be an educator, so nursing education was the next logical step,”她说。.
In 2019, she was named the health sciences instructor at the Etowah County Career Technical Center. The following year, she earned a Doctor of Education from UA as a nurse educator.
“My position at the Career Tech Center was a Godsend,”她说。. “It was an opportunity for me to grow and get a foundation for being a full-time educator. 这和当护士很不一样.”
On July 8, she started her job as the director of the Medical Assistant Program at Gadsden State.
“Now, I’m living the true dream teaching at the college level,”她说。. “医疗助理是心脏, soul and compassion of the community through providing service to patients, 医生和同事. We will use positive reinforcement in the classroom and labs to ensure that Gadsden State students define professionalism through acquaintance.”
The program takes five semesters to graduate. Once the curriculum and training are complete, students can sit for a test to be certified by the National Board for Medical Assisting of the American Association of Medical Assistants. This certification leads students to employment opportunities in physicians’ offices, 门诊, 实验室, 非固定的机构, 医院, 养老院, minute clinics and urgent care facilities.
Medical assistants are responsible for administrative, clinical, specialized and general duties. Some responsibilities include lab procedures, 收集患者病史, 进行身体检查, 做心电图, 测量生命体征, 给注射, making referrals and setting up surgeries.
“Medical assistants really are the front line of a medical facility; the physician’s righthand person,瑟拉什说。. “Medical assistants have a complete background to adequately support the physician.”
Gadsden State’s Medical Assistant Program will accept up to 15 students for the new cohort starting this fall semester.
这个项目的入学竞争非常激烈. 最低入学要求包括:
- Unconditional admission to Gadsden State
- Completion of the online application by midnight Aug. 19
- ACT composite score or superscore of at least an 18 on the national or residual test
- 必须年满18岁
- 最少2个.5 overall GPA at Gadsden State for all college courses taken. If no courses have been completed at Gadsden State, the GPA from high school or from the college from which the student is transferring may be used.
- 最少2人.5 GPA for required Medical Assistant general education courses
- Must be eligible for placement in English 101 and Math 116
- Must be in good standing with the College
- Must meet the essential functions required for medical assistants
- Pass a criminal background check and drug test upon program admission
- Submit a completed health questionnaire and immunization records
- 有保险证明
The online application and more information about the program can be found at www.GadsdenState.edu/Medical.