Industry Lay-off Spurs MTC Tifton Grad into Medical Field
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Moultrie Technical College Tifton Campus Medical Assisting program graduate Mary Bell, right, celebrated her graduation and new career with instructor Elizabeth Peace, left, prior to the December 18 ceremony. |
Mary Bell, 59, of Tifton, joins the estimated 27 percent of older Americans who say they expect to delay retirement because of the sluggish economy, according to a survey conducted in April by Woelfel Research. Some will even start new careers.
Bell, a grandmother, was laid-off from her job at Prestolite Wire in Tifton after 29 years of employment, first on the assembly line and then in the computer information department. That’s what it took to turn her in a new direction to a career in the medical field.
She enrolled in Moultrie Technical College’s Tifton Campus Medical Assisting (MA) program under instructor Elizabeth Peace but found her fellow students to be much younger than she.
“Competition with young people was unreal to me,” said Bell just prior to walking across the stage to receive her MA diploma at Withers Auditorium in Moultrie during the College’s semi-annual Commencement Ceremony held Friday night, December 18.
“Me, among all these young faces, just doesn’t seem real,” she said looking across a room filled with caps and gowns.
Medical assisting has been identified as the fastest growing allied health profession in the twenty-first century. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 34 percent from 2008 to 2018.
Training consists of both clinical and administrative skills, making MAs multi-skilled professionals. They specialize in medication administration, venipuncture, medical office procedures and medical transcription.
Bell is already employed in her field at Dr. James Mossell’s office in Tifton, the same medical practice where she completed her externship during her training at Moultrie Tech. MTC’s Medical Assisting diploma program takes approximately 18 months to complete.
“I can’t believe I could go to school for such a short period of time and get a good job,” she said. “It’s like a dream come true. I never thought I could do this…but by the help of good teachers and hard work, I did it.”
Peace says Bell excelled in the MA program, winning a silver medal in the SkillsUSA Health Knowledge Bowl, and ranking as a top four finalist in Moultrie Tech’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition for 2009 where the College’s Student of the Year is selected.
Bell was among hundreds of her fellow MTC graduates Friday night, as the college recognized over 250 allied health, business and computers, personal and public service, and technical and industrial program graduates from its four-county service area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth.
MTC president Tina Anderson congratulated the summer and fall quarter graduating classes of 2009 as MTC Early Childhood Care and Education instructor and 2008 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year award winner Kathryn Kent led the faculty, staff and graduate processional as the event’s marshal.
MTC Board of Directors member Brinson Brock of South Georgia Banking Company in Ashburn assisted the College's administration in the conferring of awards. One of the highlights of the ceremony was the commencement address given by Brad Bowen, lead pastor at Heritage Church in Moultrie, as he challenged the graduates and audience to live a life of passion.
The College honored the memory of Practical Nursing program graduate Bryan Collier who completed his course work in September but passed away unexpectedly in November. His mother, Jackie Holcomb, accepted his cap and gown in Friday’s ceremony.
