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From Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – Medical Assistant Advice recently highlighted the South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Medical Assisting Program as the fourth best program in Georgia. A total of 1,241 schools currently offer medical assisting education in the nation and the rankings are based on academic quality, graduation rate, student to faculty ratio, net price and student ratings and reviews. To learn more about the rankings visit their website, www.medicalassistantadvice.com.

The ranking for the fourth best medical assisting program in Georgia comes on the heels of SGTC earning the top spot as the Best Community College in Georgia for 2020. That ranking was received by Niche.

“South Georgia Technical College has a tremendous reputation for providing an outstanding two-year education that prepares students for the workforce,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “This new ranking by Medical Assistant Advice provides external validation about the quality and excellence in technical education that we provide.”

The starting hourly medical assistant salary across the county is an average of $12.36 or roughly $2,140 per month. This is higher than the national average starting salary across all professions. The majority of medical assistant’s work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, offices of other health practitioners, outpatient care centers, continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly, fourth year colleges and universities and dentist’s offices. In Georgia, the demand for qualified medical assistants is expected to grow by 29 percent through 2026.

SGTC has Medical Assisting programs at its campuses in Americus and Cordele. Earning a diploma in medical assisting from the school prepares students with the theoretical and practical knowledge that not only kick starts a person’s career, but also provides a base for higher education. The program is open to high school graduates who are above the age of 17.

The curriculum is designed to give students a well-rounded education and includes courses in computer literacy, structure and function of the human body, laws and ethics, pharmacology, medical insurance management, medical office administration and back-office clinical functions. The 54-credit curriculum ends with an externship and a seminar that is mainly centered on the application of professional knowledge, review of the certification exam and job preparation.

Financial aid is available to students entering the medical assisting program at SGTC, including the HOPE Grant, HOPE Career Grant, PELL Grant, and scholarships and grants through the SGTC Foundation office.

Jeana Yawn and Sheri Bass are the medical assisting instructors on the SGTC Americus campus and Carol Cowan is the instructor on the Crisp County Center campus. For more information about the program contact Jeana Yawn at jeana.yawn@southgatech.edu or 229-931-5188, Sheri Bass at sheri.bass@southgatech.edu or 229-931-2560, or Carol Cowan in Cordele at ccowan@southgatech.edu or 229-271-5188.

South Georgia Technical College is currently accepting students for Fall Semester, which begins Monday, August 17. The college is waiving the testing requirements for Fall Semester so students may apply online at www.southgatech.edu. Registration and orientation for fall semester will be held on both the Americus and Crisp County Center campuses Tuesday through Thursday, July 21^-23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about South Georgia Technical College, visit the website at www.southgatech.edu or contact the admissions office in Americus at 229-931-2394 or 229-271-4040 in Cordele.