Are you a military health careprovider?

Each year, thousands of men and women separate from military service at Fort Bragg. Many of the soldiers who have a Military Occupation Specialty in healthcare are unable to secure employment post separation from the service due to a lack of civilian credentials and education.

The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation has made funds avail-able to Fayetteville Technical Community College through a pilot program, Pathways to Second Service in Health Programs, to develop pathways for degree completion by maximizing credit for military education and expe-rience. Currently there are several bridge programs ready for enrollment:

• Medic to Paramedic — This fast-track program will award a diploma in Emergency Medical Science. At the completion of the program, successful students will be eligible to apply for both state- and national-certification exams. Please contact Richard Criste, EMS department chair, at (910) 678-8515 or crister@faytechcc.edu.

• Accelerated Radiography — This online program will provide ARRT registered technologists who are military trained or who attended a hospi-tal-based training program the opportunity to earn an Associate of Applied Science in Radiography. Practicing technologists can meet the educational requirements to sit for the ARRT national certification exam. Please contact Anita McKnight, Radiography department chair at (910) 678-8303 or mcknigha@faytechcc.edu

• Advanced Placement to Associate Degree Nursing — This program gives the licensed practical nurse credit for education and work experience. Students will advance-place into the third semester of the program and complete three semesters. The student will earn an associate’s degree in nursing. Please contact Carolyn Stovall, department chair, at (910) 678-8482 or stovallc@faytechcc.edu.

• Respiratory Therapy — The advanced placement option is designed for military-trained respiratory specialists who are transitioning to civilian life to obtain an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy. By obtaining the degree, an individual may take the certification exam through the National Board for Respiratory Care and become a certified respiratory therapist. Please contact John Holloman, department chair of Respiratory Therapy, at (910) 678-8316 or hollomaj@faytechcc.edu.

• Surgical Technology — The Accelerated Alternate Delivery Program in Surgical Technology was developed to assist currently practicing non-certified surgical technologists to obtain the educational background required to sit for the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) certifying examina-tion. Surgical technologists interested in this program must fit in one of the three groups:

1) On the job trained surgical technologists who com-peted training before March 1, 2000

2) Formerly trained surgical technologists who completed their education from a non-Commission of Accreditation of the Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) accredited program in Surgical Technology

3) Military-trained surgical technologistsFor more information, please contact Terry Herring, department chair, at 678-8358 or herringt@faytechcc.edu.

Additional fast-track options in other health programs are being evaluated. If you have been working in a healthcare field as a member of the military and would like more information, please contact Katherine Pugh, project coordinator at FTCC, at (910) 678-0054 or pughk@faytechcc.edu.

There are many possibilities for you to expedite your educational process and go back to work in the same or related field!

Photo: FTCC offers healthcare related cours-es with military and prior military members in mind.