Gwinnett Tech Surgical Technology Students Volunteer with MedShare
New Class Will Donate Time to Pack Donated Medical Supplies for Developing Countries
Students in Gwinnett Technical College's (GTC) Surgical Technology program will leave the classroom and OR behind this week to spend a day volunteering at Med Share on Thurs., Oct 11, helping pack surgical and other medical supplies for shipment to developing countries.
MedShare is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the environment and healthcare through the efficient recovery and redistribution of surplus medical supplies and equipment to underserved healthcare facilities in developing countries. MedShare's national headquarters and southeastern distribution center are located in Decatur.
About 24 GTC students who started the Surgical Technology program this fall are participating.
"The world is much smaller than we perceive and we can all make a huge charitable difference by working together," says T.C. Parker, program director, Surgical Technology, at Gwinnett Tech. "Our students really benefit, too. This helps foster learning for the operating room and increases their awareness of the role of community and charity in healthcare. It also exposes them to various medical supplies and equipment."
MedShare has shipped more than 700 forty-foot tractor-trailer size containers to over 85 developing countries and territories, and provided more than 2,100 medical mission teams with $2.5 million in supplies. The group's volunteer corps exceeds 1,500 monthly.
Gwinnett Tech now offers both an associate degree and a diploma in Surgical Technology. The associate degree option is a new offering for the college, available for the first time this academic year. The program recently received the annual Merit Award from the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) for achieving a 100 percent graduate pass rate on the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination for the most recent examination cycle.
Gwinnett Tech offers more than 50 degree, diploma and certificate options that can be completed in two years or less. For more information, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu or call 770-962-7580.
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