Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Health Information Technology
Katie Denning
When Katie Denning enrolled at Gwinnett Tech her goal was to be a nurse or radiology tech, however she quickly learned patient care wasn’t for her and switched programs to IT. It wasn’t until she was working as a pharmacy tech within a hospital did she become interested in how technology supports hospital staff to provide excellent patient care.
“At Gwinnett Tech I learned concepts that had an immediate impact on my job performance. I was learning how to write a Request for Proposal(RFP) in class and at the same time asked to help develop an RFP for an application my team was working on.”
“Some might not able to picture an IT job as ‘fun’ but mine really is. It’s interesting and there is always something new on the horizon as technology in healthcare continues to improve.” Katie is currently employed at Northeast Georgia Health Systems in Gainesville, Ga. Visit our Health Information Technology program page.
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Health Information Technology
Samia Haroon
When Samia Haroon enrolled at Gwinnett Tech she was hoping to start a career as an analyst. Little did she know by graduation she would have a job with Clinigence a clinical business intelligence software provider in Atlanta, Ga and be well-educated in Health IT. “My biggest inspirations were my mentors and advisers Director, Patricia Whitley and Advisor, Victoria Albee. I didn’t know a lot about Health IT. After a particular lesson about informatics in one of my classes, I knew that data was a focus and I wanted to learn more about how data plays a role in improving healthcare outcomes with the use of Health IT.”
She credits Gwinnett Tech with giving her the tools to succeed. “I would love to acknowledge all the great available resources in the College, if you see school, like the math lab, computer science lab, the different student groups, the Student Life Center and the One-Stop office. It truly helps to be surrounded by individuals who are great at these crafts and are willing to engage with students with real-time effort and dedication.”
“I feel I have gained more than what I wanted to accomplish at Gwinnett Tech.” Samia now plans to earn her master’s in either informatics or predictive analytics. Visit our Health Information Technology program page.
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Invasive Cardiology
Robin Prasher
Long before he came to Gwinnett Tech, Robin Prasher knew he would pursue a medical career. “My Mom has been a nurse for more than 40 years and my sister is a physician assistant – they have been my inspiration,” he said. “My family always emphasized how important education was. My Dad always said, ‘A thief can steal anything from you, but they will never be able to steal your knowledge and that’s why it’s the best thing to acquire’.”
Today, Robin is a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist at Emory University Hospital Midtown. He credits Gwinnett Tech with launching his career. “I chose to pursue my cardiovascular technology education at Gwinnett Tech because I had gone to different colleges but never felt like I was getting the education I needed. I realized when I first took my anatomy class at Gwinnett Tech that this was the college for me. The teachers were so passionate about what they taught and really worked with the students in every way possible to help them succeed.”
Before graduating in 2016, Robin won the Dean’s List award and the Clyde and Sandra Strickland scholarship, which helped him decrease hours at his job so he could study more.
“My education at Gwinnett Tech helped me prepare for my career by giving me all the tools I needed,” Robin said. “I have received many professional accolades from cardiologists at Emory, but the one I always remember is when the head cardiologist told the manager that they need more people like me in this field.”
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Surgical Technology
Brenda Mauldin
Little did Brenda Mauldin know that her path to becoming a Surgical Technologist began 25 years ago when she toured Gwinnett Tech’s campus as a high school student. After many jobs following that high school graduation, she didn’t think about going back to school until her husband asked “why didn’t you go to school and chase that medical career you wanted?” Well, Brenda she took him up on that suggestion and didn’t look back!
As a student, Brenda served as the President of the Hunter Green Class Surgical Technology organization.
Brenda credits her success at Gwinnett Tech to the faculty in the Surgical Tech program. “I cannot even begin to share enough accolades. The instructors are absolutely amazing, inspiring, honest, true and supportive. They are more than ‘instructors’. They’re not only teaching us about the surgical tech field, but also about life. As both instructors, mentors and friends, they have a knack for really bringing us out of ourselves, challenging our comfort levels and pushing us to not just get by, but to blow past expectations.”
“It’s taken me five years to get my two-year degree. It has been a nothing short of amazing experience and time for me. I have learned so much, not just about surgical technology, but about life in general. I’m really grateful for the experience.”
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Nursing
Kallie Palmer
Kallie Palmer has always been interested in nursing. As a little girl, she wanted to be a nurse, but, she didn’t think she was “good” at math and never pursued a nursing career. Kallie went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Education and began teaching adult education. Then, she had a “light bulb moment” and wondered “what if, what if I just try? I didn’t want to have regrets. If I failed, then, at least, I can say I tried.”
While Kallie is in school, she is taking advantage of the externships through Gwinnett Tech and Gwinnett Medical Center. Over the summer of 2017 she worked as a patient care tech at Glancy Rehabilitation Center in Lawrenceville, Ga. “My externship was invaluable. The staff wanted to help and teach me. I was able to work with a variety of patients seeking treatment and gained confidence working in the medical setting and with patients.”
When asked what advice would you give someone thinking about a career change, she says “you only get one life, don’t sell yourself short and wonder what if.”
After Kallie graduates from Gwinnett Tech in May 2018, she will pursue her Bachelor in Nursing and a career in medical surgical nursing.
Health Sciences and Life Sciences
Veterinary Technology
Jaclyn Coppola
For Jaclyn Coppola, medicine and animals have always been passion. “I’ve wanted to work with animals since I was little! Animals and medicine are very interesting to me and I love learning about the medicine around animals! Not only is veterinary technology my passion, but I want to have a voice for those who don’t get to have a voice.”
During the summer of 2017, Jaclyn attended a volunteer veterinary technician experience through Animal Experience International (AEI). Jaclyn ‘s volunteer experience was in Guatemala where she assisted in caring for primates, birds and reptiles. During her trip, she experienced a variety of tasks including assisting in the feeding and caring for animals and hands-on instruction with medical treatments and surgery.
“Gwinnett Tech has the best veterinary tech program. I would never have known about AEI if it weren’t for my vet tech teachers.” Jaclyn resides in Forsyth, Ga however she chose Gwinnett Tech for the vet tech program, learning and hands-on experience she would gain. After graduation, Jaclyn hopes to work in a wildlife facility or a zoo.
