Charter College’s Externships: On the Job Training in the Medical Field

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If you have been working a low level, menial job and crave a change, you could be employed as a medical assistant or pharmacy technician in less than a year. No kidding. Helping people get started in a medical career is what Charter College has been doing since 1985.

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Charter College offers Medical Assistant Certification in 9 months. Photo courtesy: Charter College

“Our number one objective is getting students to be successful,” says Doctor Bruce Higdon, president of Charter College, Lacey. “It has got to be about the students 100 percent of the time.” Higdon’s ethos of putting students first echoes throughout the college curriculum.

Dr. Bruce, as he is commonly referred to by students, recognizes that many people aren’t cut out for the traditional college path. “I have had a lot of jobs in my life,” he acknowledges, “and a couple different careers. Every college I have ever been through has not helped me get a job. At Charter College we are rated by how many graduates we can place. It is a huge benefit for the student but it is a really rewarding career for someone like me who wants to help others change their lives.”

Hit the Ground Running

For his part, Higdon leads the campus with a passion for achievement. “We coach, we advise,” says Higdon, “we do everything we can short of doing their work for them to help them graduate and get a job in the end.” But do not mistake the college’s willingness to help a student succeed with a penchant for leniency. “We also have rigorous, high standards,” says Higdon, “timeliness, a dress code – all the things that employers are going to want of their new employee. We teach them the skills they need so they can hit the ground running the first day on the job.”

One of the most effective means to achieve that is through their student externships, which occur the last five weeks of their program.

Externships: Learning by Doing

charter college pharmacy
Externships provide hands on learning during the final month of your program. Photo courtesy: Charter College

“What we offer are modular courses,” explains Higdon, “so rather than the standard 10-week course schedule we take 2 classes every 5 weeks. We have seven months of classes and then the eighth month is the externship course. The students work and learn firsthand about the clinic or pharmacy where they can experience what really goes on.”

The college’s blended courses combine traditional classroom and lab work onsite with an online component. As Higdon points out, most working adults don’t have a huge amount of time to commit to studying and estimates about two hours of outside work for every hour of lecture. a day to be sufficient for the average student.

Do I Want a Better Life for Myself?

As the medical industry continues to seek new workers, Charter College continues to help their graduates compete for those jobs. In addition to job-search basics like computer keyboard skills, resume and cover letter writing and interview techniques, students have the added confidence of knowing that there is someone in their corner. “When someone asks, ‘Do I want a better life for myself’ and the answer is ‘yes’ then that is changing behavior,” says Higdon, “we never give up on those students. If they are willing to keep trying we are willing too. We help people all the way. Some students give up on themselves, maybe they experience a life tragedy and they don’t see a way out and they want to give up on school. And really – graduating is what will save them in the long run. If you show up and participate in class and do your best it is amazing how successful you can be.”

No One Slips Through the Cracks

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Faculty and staff at Charter College are there to help you succeed. Photo courtesy: Charter College

Higdon invites students to come and tour, get a feel for the campus and see if the college is a good fit for them. “I am the first stop on the tour,” Higdon says, “and students are always welcome to come and meet with me.” Besides the ever-full bowl of chocolates, Higdon also prides himself on the open-door policy he supports. “If the door is open,” says Higdon, “just come on in and help yourself to some chocolate. If the door is closed, you knock on the door. It doesn’t matter who I am talking to, I will hang up and talk to you. We all agree, you are the most important thing, nothing matters more than your success.”

Call Charter College’s Lacey campus to arrange your tour at 360-292-7179. Or visit the Charter College website for more details.

Charter College
4520 Lacey Blvd SE, Suite 40, Lacey

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