MLT Programs

New MLT program being planned at FC for fall ’03

By Bobby Moore
Staff Writer

Planning is underway for a new Medical Laboratory Technology program at Georgia Highlands College that is scheduled to begin this fall.

The two-year program will be a joint partnership with Darton College in Augusta. The program is designed to prepare students for the Board of Registry certification test.

Students in this program will be able to take the lecture courses online through Darton College while taking the lab classes and core classes at the Georgia Highlands College central campus in Rome.

The lab classes are expected to be in depth because of Darton’s high standards. The required internship hours will also be completed locally at Redmond and Floyd hospitals.

Sharon Collins, the program’s director, said, “The online courses and the lab courses, which will take place in the evenings, will be convenient for those who have other jobs.”

Another benefit of the program will be small class sizes. Collins said, “The professors will be able to give 10 students enough one-on-one attention. In large classes, there are 30 people with 30 questions.”

Like all other jobs in the health care industry, the job market for lab techs looks bright, according to Collins.

“There is expected to be a 20 to 40 percent increase in demand for lab techs in the coming years,” she said.

The laboratory work involved in this program may interest those who enjoy chemistry and microbiology. According to Collins this is an exciting field for anyone who enjoys searching for health-related clues and answers.

Waycross College, Georgia College, and Armstrong Atlantic State University, which offers a four-year degree in this area, will also have joint programs with Darton College.

For more information about the MLT program, visit www.darton.edu/mlt.