From the Military to Medical Assisting

Kat Lawrence graduated in December of 2014 from our Medical Assisting Certificate and recently celebrated her one-year anniversary with WellStar in August. We caught up with Kat to explore how she went from working in security to working for a healthcare organization.

She always wanted to work in the medical field and this program seemed like the perfect place to start. While taking the Medical Office Assistant program, she saw an advertisement for the new Medical Assisting program and it sparked her interest.

“I chose KSU because of the convenience of evening classes, the cost of the program and the KSU name,” Kat said.

The night classes allowed her to continue working while pursuing her education. Along with knowledgeable and patient professors, Kat was able to thrive in the program. Her professors took the time to make sure she understood the material.

“What makes this program unique is the cost. Most MA programs are twice the price and with me being a veteran, I could use my education benefits,” she said. Medical Assisting is one of nearly 40 programs approved for VA Education Benefits at our college.

Kat was working in security at the time but after graduation began working for WellStar’s Pediatric and Adolescent Center in Austell alongside a nurse practitioner. Her many job duties include rooming patients, giving injections, and performing lab tests like urinalysis and strep.

For other students about to graduate and preparing for the job search, Kat said, “Having the KSU name behind you sets you apart from other applicants. KSU is known for the standard of excellence.”