GNTC students on track to graduate
♦ The pandemic briefly halted training but medical assisting students are finishing up their labs.
A contingent of students in the Medical Assisting program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College are on track to graduate in August, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharon Vaughan, clinical coordinator and instructor for the program, said she and other instructors have been meeting with small groups to finish up the spring and summer requirements.
“We have been working since May 18 to make sure we make up for the time we lost in the spring,” Vaughan said. “Fortunately, we got
Briana Felton, GNTC Medical Assisting major, practices the proper technique for putting on PPE prior to starting an externship at Floyd Medical Center, which provided the program with the materials needed for the training. the more intensive labs The program prepares done at the beginning of students for a wide variety the semester.” of jobs in medical offices.
During a recent class outside a building on GNTC’S Floyd County campus, a small group of students spaced 6 feet apart practiced the proper procedure for putting on and removing their personal protective equipment.
While it may seem simple, Vaughn said, if done improperly it could lead to contamination. It’s also part of the school’s protocol to ensure a safe lab experience.
Over at the Walker County campus, groups are limited to six students each and they stand on marked spots while in their labs. Martha Smith, assistant dean of Health Technologies and instructor on that campus, said they’ve been working on phlebotomy as well as medical techniques on manikins.
“During the labs, I ensured they were properly gloved, masked, face shielded and gowned,” Smith said. “Currently, my students are at their clinical sites and I have been making sure I visit each one to check up on them.”
The coronavirus spread has not put a stop to externships with local medical partners. The PPE training was part of the training required by Floyd Medical Center, which provided the program with the materials. Other labs the students have been taking
include spirometry testing, electrocardiography and vision tests.
Vaughan said all of the students finishing the program this summer are on track to graduate despite Covid-related delays. Students who began in the fall of 2019 will be eligible to walk in the Aug. 11 drive-through graduation at the Floyd County campus.
“We already had an online presence and expanded that with video lectures and virtual forums,” Vaughan said. “Once it was safe to meet again, we made sure our students did not miss out on the hands-on portion of the course. We put our heads together and made sure they got everything out of the Medical Assisting program.”